KNOCKED RIGHT OUT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 20, 19 October 1943, Page 5

KNOCKED RIGHT OUT

Schweinfurt Factories

LONDON, October 17. Study of photographs after the raid on the Schweinfurt ball-bearing and rollerbearing plant revealed even more extensive damage than was at first estimated, said Brigadier-General Anderson, Commander of the Eighth U.S.A.A.F. The entire works are now inactive. The Germans may eventually restore 25 per cent, of the productive capacity.

A message from Berne reports that the Germans, as a result of the destruction of Ihe Schweinfurt ball-bearing works, have placed large orders with a big ballbearing firm in Zurich. Heavily armed inulti-cngined liir cruisers have been escorting United States bombers in their daylight raids on Germany. A Stockholm report quotes German military observers as saying' that these planes carry no bombs but are each armed will) 30 machine-guns and cannon. These armoured cruisers lly ahead of and alongside the Fortresses Io "plough their way through the German fighter planes.” Swedish newspapers also report that the Germans are using a new type of heavily-armoured lighter plane which carries ammunition of terrific explosive power. German air observers state that these new fighters took heavy toll of the Fortresses which attacked Schweinfurt on Thursday. New Fog Device'.’

The German military spokesman also claimed that the Germans are using a new “log device” which spreads a milklike substance in Hie air, blinding the pilots, and causing their bombers to collide. According to Hie Berlin correspondent of the Madrid newspaper "Informacioncs,” nrlificinl fog converts daylight attacks into night attacks, lie adds that the Fortresses on lhe Schwei/il'nrt raid emerged from these clouds without formation, and were at tile mercy of lhe German lighters; Many Fortresses collided. Following these claims of the use of new weapons, Berlin radio yesterday warm'd its listeners not to expect a "magic gadget” to defeat, the Allied bombers.