HAMBURG HIT

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 256, 28 July 1942, Page 5

HAMBURG HIT

Very Heavy Raid By R.A.F. FIGHTER DEBUT LONDON, July 27. Last night the R.A.F. made a very heavy raid on Hamburg, largest seaport on the Continent and second city of the Reich. The weather was good and preliminary reports indicate that the attack was most successful. Hamburg’s shipyards turn out many submarines. It was the city’s 91st raid. RUGBY, July 26. American Mustang . fighters have been operating from Great Britain in recent weeks. The machines are flown by the Army Co-operation Command in co-operation with the Fighter Command. This arrangement will probably continue till the land war in the west flares up, when they will be used for their original purpose of giving full support to the army. Meanwhile, the Fighter Command benefits by their help and the pilots gain valuable experience. They have expressed their delight with the machine and describe it as an excellent fighter which is likely to earn a good name. It is fast and manoeuvrable and has excellent endurance. All Its activities so far have been ground strafing. One pilot on this work said: “They are grand machines and take damage that would seal the fate of other fighters.” The Mustang is a monoplane with one 1150-horse-power Allison V 1710 12-cylinder engine. It has been reported from the United States that the Mustang has a speed of about 400 miles an hour. The American Eagle Squadron today attacked an E-boat off Calais. Violent explosions were heard from amidships and clouds of smoke belched from the vessel which was settling down when the Spitfires left. In one of the biggest dogfights for many weeks, nine Focke-Wulfe 190’s were destroyed and many severely damaged this afternoon, when Spitfires swept a triangular area between Gravelines, St. Omer and Abbeville. Three of our fighters are missing. A communique from the European theatre of operations of the United . States Army and the commanding general of the United States Army -Air Forces states that seven American pilots participated in today’s successful sweep over northern France. One failed to return. Pounding Of Duisburg. More than 50 4000-pound bombs, besides a great load of other heavy highexplosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on Duisburg last night by a strong force of bombers which attacked the city and port. Reconnaissance this morning proved that fires were still burning and spreading smoke over the Ruhr. To protect Duisburg against this third attack in five days, the Germans sent up more fighters than ever. They rose in clear moonlight and the bombers saw many Junkers and Messerschmits searching for them, but the alertness of gunners and skilful evasion of the pilots baffled the enemy. From last night's operations, 14 bombers and one fighter are missing.