REICH FACTORY BOMBED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 18, 16 October 1943, Page 5

REICH FACTORY BOMBED

Many Planes Lost

On Both Sides AMERICAN RAID

LONDON, October 14

For the second time American Flying Fortresses from bases in Britain attacked in force the Schweinfurt roller-bearing plant in Bavaria, '65 miles east of Frankfurt, today. The Fortresses destroyed 91 enemy aircraft, and the escorting Thunderbolts shot down 13, making a total of 104. The American losses were 60 bombers and two fighters. This plant was first attacked in August. Today, as before, the German fighter opposition was strong and there were .many fierce air combats. In the previous attack 36 Fortresses were lost, and on ihat day Ravensburg was attacked and 59 Fortresses did not get back. That was the heaviest loss up to that time. A Inter announcement today says that heavy bombers of the United States Eighth Air Force have flown out from Britain to central Germany with an escort of Thunderbolt fighters. No further details are yet available. The United States -Secretary of War, Mr. Stimson, has revealed that Allied air power in Britain had been heavily increased lately. Bartered Hanover.

Scarcely a building remains undamaged iu the important central area of Hanover between the main railway station and Machsee Lake, a mile to the south-west, which the Germans had roofed over and camouflaged, says British Official Wireless. This is revealed by air photographs following the Bomber Command’s successful attack on the night ot October 8. For three days after the attack the buildings were still burning and palls of smoke hung heavily oyer large areas of the city. The fire has taken a heavy toll of the important industrial areas, and the business and administrative centre of "he city is marked by an area over a mile and a half square of almost complete devastation. ~ , , The huge Foeke-Wulf assembly plant at Marienburg and the component factory at Anklam have both been knocked out. That is the conclusion of the United States Air Force Eighth Bom'ber Command headquarters after studying the damage assessment reports Ibased on reconnaissance photographs. The. reports list 12 major and 17 minor buildings demolished, gutted or severely damaged during the raid last Saturday on the Marienburg plant, while the coin/ponent factory at Anklam had threequarters of .the key machinery and subassembly shops, stores and offices destroyed and other buildings were heavily damaged. The Marienburg plant was responsible for almost half the entire assembly of Focke-Wulf.

When fighter-bombers of the Fighter Command attacked two 500-ton cargo ships near Brest at dawn this morning the gunners of one ship were taken by surprise and fired wildly above their heads without aiming at the bombers. One ship was hit by bombs and blazed fiercely after a heavy explosion. The other vessel suffered a near miss and was then hit by cannon fire. All the Typhoons returned safely.