RECORD JOINT ATTACK

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 201, 23 May 1944, Page 5

RECORD JOINT ATTACK

Nazi War Transport Battered Again TRAIL OF RUIN (By Telegraph. —Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received May 22, 8.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 22. Fighters and fighter-bombers of the Second Tactical Air Force and the Air Defence of Great Britain joined forces yesterday -to make the'biggest attack of its kind of the war against the Germans’ overloaded and battered war transport machine in .northern France, Belgium and Holland, stated the Air Ministry news service. Pilots returning from blasting railway, road and river communications described the -targets as a shambles. Final results of the operation are not vet available, but it is known that at least 35 military supply trains, 33 ocomotives (five of which were seen to blow un) and a large number of military lorries, staff cars, tugs, barges, flak-towers and other military installations were attacked, with excellent results. Reports so far show that 20 of our planes are “Making the most concentrated blow against enemy railyards so.far, m ° r e than 500 Ninth Air Force Thunderbolts in 13 waves yesterday slashed against locomotives, trains and railyards destroying more than 70 locomotives, states the Allied Expeditionary Air Force headquarters. Disguised Flak-Cars.

The pilots encountered something new. They found many flak-cars disguised as frenght-cars sandwiched with goods trucks. The Thunderbolt as they swooped down to open fire saw the sides of the disguised cars drop down, exposing liabt and heavy anti-aircraft guns which threw un an intense barrage. German troops several times poured from trains and sent up small arms and 20-millimetre cannon fire. A U.S.A.A.F. communique says. “Strong forces of Thunderbolts, Lightnings and Mustang fighters, also Ihunderbolt fighter-bombers carried. out widespread a tacks against targets in Germany yesterday. Flying Fortresses and Liberators bombed military installations in the Pas de Calais area.. Fighter and hghterboniber pilots reported shooting down 20 planes in air battles over Germany, the destruction of scores more on. the ground and the shooting up of more than -00 locomotives. Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered round several targets in Germany. but the air opposition generally was weak. Thunderbolts escorted the heavy bombers, all of which returned safely. Twenty-seven fighters are missing from the day’s operations.” The Swedish radio said yesterday that, telephone communication with Berlin was interrupted for at least two hours. The aviation writer of ‘The Times says that a new record in the air offensive from Britain was established on Saturday. when nearly 5000 bombers and fighters, more than 4000 of which were sent out by the Allied Expeditionary Air Force, maintained a dawn-to-dusk series of attacks against enemy targets in France and Belgium.