Heavy Raid on Munich

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22137, 8 September 1943, Page 5

Heavy Raid on Munich

Munich, the Southern German city, was attacked by Royal Air Force bombers last night in a heavy, concentrated and effective raid. Munich has an added strategic importance at the moment as it forms one of the main railway links between Southern Germany and the Brenner Pass leading to Italy. This and other operations cost 16 bombers. The Allied air offensive against objectives in Germany, occupied France, Holland and Belgium continues without a break. Large formations of Flying Fortresses, supported by Thunderbolts, were over South-western Germany during the day and left many fires burning in Stuttgart, the town which produces engines for aircraft and Üboats. Other targets included airfields at Orleans and Conches in France. The Fortresses met persistent fighter opposition and heavy anti-aircraft fire in these operations. An official communique says they shot down over 70 enemy aircraft. Hitler’s Adopted City After their failure to stop the Bomber Command’s heavy attack on Mannheim on Sunday with gunfire the Germans once more tried flares to light up our aircraft attacking Munich last night, says the Air Ministry News Service. They brought out everything to defend Hitler’s adopted city. There was light and heavy flak, together with hundreds of searchlights. The fighters lay low until the first salvo cf bombs was dropped. Then all the defences went into action. A great weight of high explosive and incendiaries was dropped in about hali-an-hour. As the bombing became more intense the gunfire wavered and fell away, but the searchlights held on grimly to gaps in the clouds immediately over the target and tried to cone the bombers for the fighters. Flares dropped from a great height took as long as 20 minutes to fall to the ground. One pilot saw as many as 40 being dropped at a time and several crews described how the Germans tried to make a brilliant path of light along the route to the city. A large part l of the force had bombed and left by the time the Germans laid the first “flare- path” thousands of feet above the city and the remainder found that the flares often helped them to pick out fighters. Devastating Onslaught

Another rep'ort states: The air operations on the sixth successive day of the devastating daylight onslaught against German and occupied territory opened today shortly after the last of hundreds of Royal Air Force giant night bombers had returned after starting huge fires in Munich.

Giant American Liberator bombers—the type which hammered the Ploesti oilfields—-blasted a German convey off the Dutch coast today. This is the first time that Liberators have been reported in operations from British bases outside the Royal Air Force Coastal Command. Seven ether big assaults were carried out in daylight today against air bases and rail centres in Northern France and Belgium by Fortresses, also Royal Air Force and United States medium and light bombers. All eight assaults were carried out without the loss of a single bomber. Moreover, not a single Spitfire or Typhoon was lost of the many hundreds which supported the bombers in these raids. The Germans sent up a few fighters, two of which were shot down. One United States fighter is missing. Enemy Planes Destroyed Gne pilot saw three enemy aircraft shot down over the town and another towards the end cf the attack saw combats between bombers ana Ifghteis going cn all round. A bulling pilot, who was one of the lasi cvti the target, said the hres were getting well alight by the time hr. leu. 'They could see thick rme lie ic.-ing up at leas', three miles v/hen l'*:y wore 150 miles cn the way heme. A rear gunner told him thai ha could still see the glow. I'rciii me crews’ reports it appears that the Geimans used almost every type of fignter in combat. Reports have not yet been checked, but it is known that several enemy aircraft were- brought down. We lost 16 aircraft. Destruction in France Formations of Marauders of the United States Eighth Air Force Air Support Command struck at the marshalling yards at St. Pci this morning. the second time in four days, continuing their hammering of vital enemy rail transportations and centres in north-western France. The crews reported good results. They encountered only slight opposition, with Spitfires effectively covering’ the operation. Other operations are described in an official communique, which states: Fortresses attacked an aircraft factory and airfield at Evore, close to Brussels, and a target near St. Omer, in France, this morning. Good bombing results were reported. Liberators attacked a convoy off the Dutch coast and Royal Air Force Mitchells and Typhoon bombers attacked marshallings yards at St. Omer

and airfields at Poin Abbeville. Thunderbolts and Royal Air Force, Dominion and Allied Spitfires escorted, covered and supported the bombing operations. Thunderbolts shot down two enemy fighters. All the bombers returned safely. One fighter is missing. Subsequent reports on yesterday’s operations show that 34 American ‘aircraft are missing, not 35 as previously reported. Of the number 33 were Fortresses, five of which are know to have landed in neutral territory, and one was a Thunderbolt. Not one enemy fighter was seen by any of the Fighter Command’s hundreds of Spitfires and Typhoons which escorted these bombers on their six-prenged attack. Life Much Noisier For days new hardly an hour has gone by without the sight of Allied bombers and fighters flying across the Channel. People on the south coast say that life is much noisier for them than in the Battle of Britain. London had a brief “Alert” during the night, when German aircraft came over the Thames estuary and parts of the south-east of England. Little damage was done. Two raiders were shot down.