RAILYARDS BLITZED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 193, 13 May 1944, Page 7

RAILYARDS BLITZED

Biggest Blow In West

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.!,

LONDON, May 11.

Within 20 hours up tc late this evening British and American heavy bombers struck a bewildering succession of blows against German-held railway yards in occupied Europe. At least 17 marshalling yards were smashed. It was the greatest single day’s offensive against Field-Marshal . von Rundstedt’s vital railway communications, and also the twenty-fourth successive day of the pre-invasion air onslaught. The skies over southern England today reverberated with the roar of bombers and fighters heading for attacks against targets on the Continent. Londoners saw one massive force of bombers going out early this afternoon, and a report from Kent this evening said that such masses of planes had never .before been seen on one day. “They have been, speeding in streams since 6 a.m.” Bombers crossed the Channel at intervals up to 8 p.m. Explosions were again heard in coastal towns, where people opened their doors and windows to avert the effects of blast. The bangs were felt more severely owing to the calm state of the Straits. Widespread Targets. The targets in today’s air onslaught that have 'been named included railway installations and marshalling yards at many points in northern France, Belgium, and (Luxemburg and at Saarbrucken, in the German Ruhr, and also coastal military installations, Seven marshalling yards were attacked by medium forces of Fortresses late this afternoon, while three others were hit earlier by Liberators. Great fleets of smaller aircraft, including divebombers, have also been on the job. They have been drawn from R.A.F. and American squadrons, and their targets, as well as railway installations, have included airfields west and north-west ot Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, Czech, Polish, Belgian, French and Norwegian fighter pilots escorted the bombers. . . , .. A German military parade on the beach at Berck was interrupted by Spitfires which attacked the troops before they had time to dash for cover. Many casualties were inflicted. Night Attacks.

The objectives of last night’s R.A.F. attacks included the railway yards at Lens and Lille, in France, and Ghent and Courtrai in Belgium. The total number of aircraft reported missing from yesterday’s raids over France and Belgium are two bombers and seven fighters. Three enemy planes were destroyed by escorting Spitfires. The Naples correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency reports that only one Wellington was lost of a force of Liberators and Wellingtons winch attacked railway yards and industrial areas in Budapest last night. Haze made observation of the results difficult. The force of Fortresses and Liberators, estimated to total 250, which attacked Wiener Neustadt, in Austria, yesterday, encountered about 120 enemy fighters, 11 of which were shot down by lhe escorting fighters. A good concentration of hits was scored. Twenty-nine of the bombers and three fighters are missing.

FURTHER ATTACKS

Strong Forces Over The Continent LONDON, May 12. ■Lancasters and Halifaxes, out in great force last night, attacked railyards and other military targets in France and Belgium. Among the railyards visited were those at Boulogne and Lbuvain. It is the first time that mention has been made of such an attack on Boulogne. Mines were also laid. Sixteen of our bombers did not return. This morning, the German radio reports that strong forces of Allied planes are over south-west Germany. . Pilots who took part in last night s raid on Boulogne, mention two outstanding explosions during the raid.

NEW ZEALAND SHARE

Many Squadrons Out (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Correspondent.) x LONDON, May 11. All the New Zealand) squadrons in Britain are taking their share in the present pre-invasion operations. Both fighter squadrons have been escorting bombers to France daily, and the Mosquito day bomber squadron has attacked several targets, while the Mosquito night-fighter squadron is also operating. The Beaufighter torpedo squadron is harrying shipping along the enemy coastline, and a Lancaster squadron in which there are many New .Zealanders is flying regularly with large night-bomber f °Hundreds of New Zealanders dispersed through the R.A.F. squadrons are also m the offensive. Exemplary skill, courage and resolution shown during five attacks on Berlin and three on Hanover have won the Distinguished Service Order for ActingSquadron Leader Dems Miller, D.F.C., Auckland, states the Air Department.

CRIPPLED BOMBER

New Use For Parachutes LONDON, May 11. A remarkable landing by a crippled Liberator is described in a dispatch from an Allied bomber base in Italy. . The Liberator was engaged in the Wiener Neustadt raid yesterday, when flak killed the pilot and knocked out the hydraulic system operating the brakes and the landing gear. The bombardier and the turret gunner baled out over Austria. The co-pilot, Second Lieutenant Shober, instructed the remainder of the crew to sit tight, and the plane reached its base, where engineers, after one hour s circling overhead, succeeded in getting the landing gear down by hand. Lieutenant Shober instructed the crew to put two parachutes in the waist windows, and when the wheels hit the runway the members of the crew pulled the ripcords so that the parachutes acted as brakes. The nose-wheel collapsed and the Liberator overturned half-way down the runway, but the men in the rear jumped to the ground unhurt. %

SEVERE DAMAGE IN CHICHESTER

American Bomber Crash LONDON, Alay 11- . Hundreds of persons along the south coast this afternoon watched a United ■States bomber gradually losing height after its crew had baled out. It crashed on Chichester with a violent explosion that shook the town. About 200 houses were damaged and 30 persons were injured. ■