HEAVY AIR BOMBARDMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 121, 23 May 1944, Page 5

HEAVY AIR BOMBARDMENT

ALLIED ATTACKS ON EUROPE

GERMAN COMMUNICATIONS GET THE WORST HITS OF THE WAR

(11 p.m.) London, May 22. Following a day in which the German lines of communication in France, Belgium and Germany received their heaviest attacks of the war, British bombers, ,in very great strength, last night attacked Duisburg, important communication , centre at the junction of the rivers Rhine and Ruhr. Targets in Hanover were also attacked and mines were laid in enemy waters. Thirty planes failed to return.

British bombers flew to Duisburg without any interference from the Luftwaffe, and bombs were crashing down on the city before the German fighters put in an appearance. Flares were then used and several dogfights occurred.

Duisburg, with important railways and docks, handles a great deal of heavy goods, including coal, iron and steel, for both Germany and Italy, It is a big chemical and synthetic oil centre.

Reports from Germany indicate that Allied bombers are again over the Reich to-day. Enemy bombers were over Scotland and southern England last, night. Bombers were dropped in a Kentish town and caused casualties. “Tactical Air Force and the Air Defence of Great. Britain, fighters and fighter-bombers, joined forces yesterday to make the war's biggest attack of its kind against the Germans’ overloaded and battered war transport machine in northern France, Belgium and Holland,” states the Air Ministry news service. “Pilots returning from blasting railway, roarl and river com-' munications described the targets as a

I Final results of the oper- . .:.n are not yet available, but it is known that at least 35 military supplytrains, 33 locomotives, five of which were seen to blow up, a large number of military lorries, staff cars, tugs, barges, flak-throwers and other military installations were attacked with excellent results. Reports so far show that 20 of our planes are missing. “Making the most concentrated ■ blow against enemy railyards so Car, more than 500 9th Air Force Thunderbolts, in 13 waves, yesterday slashed against locomotives, trains and railyards, destroying more than seven locomotives,” states the Allied Expedi.gtmnary Air Force headquarters. ■ "Thunderbolts, diving through ground • Laze to machine-gun targets blanketIcG to the west of France, cut a swathe .350 miles deep, from Lucoquet, on the 'western-most tip of Brest Peninsula, : penetrating as far east as Coblenz and ! north of Hasselt.

‘‘The pilots encountered something new. They found ntany flak-cars disguised as freight-cars sandwiched with the goods trucks.

“Thunderbolts, as they swooped down to open tire, saw the sides ot disguised cars drop down, exposing light and heavy anti-aircraft guns, which threw up an intense barrage. Geman troops, several times poured from the trains and sent up small arms and 20-milimetre cannon-flre. “The pilots reported that many locomotives were left lying on their sides with steam and lire pouring from them. Other locomotives exploded, disintegrating and blocking the tracks. “Pilots attacked, from 80<j feet, 40 to 50 freight-cars in railyards east of Longwy, France, causing explosions and huge fires. Pilots also attacked radio stations, troop barracks, gun emplacements and airfields, and set on fire several oil tanks."

A U.S.A.A.F. communique says: “Strong forces of Thunderbolts, Lightnings and Mustang fighters, and also Thunderbolt fighter-bombers, carried out widespread attacks against taYge's In Germany yesterday. Flying Fortresses and Liberators bombed military installations in the Pas de Calais area. Fighter and fighter-bomber pliots reported shooting down 20 planes in the air in battles over Germany and the destruction of scores more on the ground, and the shooting up of more than 200 locomotives. Other targets Included hangars, buildings, trucks, trains, factories, flaklowers, canal locks, and barges in an area streching from the North Sea to well west of Berlin. Intense antiaircraft tire was encountered around jeveral targets in Germany, but the air opposition generally was weak. Thunderbolts, escorted the heavy bombers, all of which returned safely. Twenty-seven fighters are missing from the day's operations."