DAMAGE IN MILAN

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 27, 27 October 1942, Page 5

DAMAGE IN MILAN

Italians Admit Force Of R.A.F. Attack (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 25. While the first Lancasters to return from yesterday’s daylight raid on Milan were lauding in England, Stirlings, Halifaxes and Wellingtons were continuing the attack by night. Their crews saw the afternoon’s fires still The ° Lancasters in the afternoon dropped a great load of incendiaries as well as 40001 b. and 10001 b. bombs on Milan. “I have always wanted to see a 40001 b. bomb go oft m daylight, »u d one pilot, “and now I have. It . S1Q1 1“ J blew a factory to pieces. You think the factory is there —and then it isnit. An Italian communique says, that t ie R.A.F. carried out raids against tne major and minor centres in Lombardy aud Piedmont on the afternoon and night of Saturday. Incendiaries last night caused great damage at Milan, > and Novara (west of Milan). Civilum buildings suffered in the suburbs ot Milan. Forty-eight persons were k t-U and 254 injured in Milan, and oo £illcii and 67 injured in Savona on the night ot October 23, when 36 were killed and 10J injured at Genoa. . , The transport system of Genoa, which was put out of action as a result ot the RA.E. raid on Friday nifeht, is now ready for service, says Rome radio. Enemy Caniji Shot Up.

The Air Ministry announced that Spitfires of the Fighter Command, without loss, attacked an enemy camp near Be Havre this morning, many huts being lext on fire. The Vichy news agency . says that about 50 four-engined British bombers flew over Montlucon, in central 1 ranee, in the unoccupied zone, about a p.m. yesterday. Bombs bit several houses near the railway goods yard. One machine cuine down very low and machincgulined the railway station aud barracks, Nlimbers of persons were slightly wounded. Vichy radio says that the French Government is strongly protesting against the air attack on the unoccupied zone, .including Montlucon, yesterday. British and American planes which machinegunned fields near Amiens and Fecamp on Thursday caused many casualties. The Swiss Minister in London has been instructed to protest strongly against violations of Swiss territory by the R.A.F. on Saturday night. A stick of bombs, according to agencs’ reports, fell in the midst of a congested working class district in a Midlands town late last night, some persons being killed, a number seriously injured, and others slightly injured. Numbers of houses were demolished and dainage was caused to a considerable area by blast. This town had a number of air raids in the early part of the war, but this is considered to be the worst as far as casualties are concerned. . An official communique states that a small number of bombs was dropped on two places on the south-east and one on the south-west coast of. England, lhere were some damage and fatalities.

EFFECT ON GERMANY British Bombing Policy

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 25. Assessing the effects of the bombing raids, the Under-Secretary of Air, Captain Balfour, today claimed that they had pinned down nearly half the German fighter strength in the west iu a vain attempt to Interrupt our bombing. But for this our Russian allies would have been even more sorely tried in recent months. As for the material damage which we had inflicted on the Germans this was not a question of opinion. It could be proved by aerial photographs supported bv evidence from many sources. ' “The loss of output from six major steel planta in the Dusseldorf-Duisberg area is estimated at 1,250,000 tons ot steel. Tlie coal output ot the Ruhr. Saar, and Aachen districts is estimated to have been reduced 80.0(H) a day ns the result of our bombing, Captain Balfour said. ■ , The might of the Bomber Command as a force for striking Germany was sometimes under-estimated. Had we succeeded in landing a mechanized giftstriking force in France last week, which could have swept across the country, laid out the Schneider factory and retired wit.i the loss of only seven men then every paper throughout the world reporting the Allied cause would have said that here was a bold stroke, here was something of a second front. The Bomber Command had achieved a like result in a brilliant but less spectacular operation.