KEEPING UP WITH FRONT LINE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 223, 17 June 1944, Page 7

KEEPING UP WITH FRONT LINE

Tactical Air Force CONYNGHAM LANDS IN NORMANDY (British Official Wireless.) (Received June 16, 7.30 p.m.) RUGBY, June 15. Air Marshal Conyngham, chief of the Tactical Ayr Force, has landed in Normandy. His visit shows the speed with which the tactical air force is being installed ashore. Every advance means a new site for an airfield. z* Several air strips were under construction within a day of the first landings, and some are now in full operation, a correspondent writes from the Allied lines. “As each few miles are taken engineers are on the spot. Bulldozers have been rushed forward, runways made and R.A.F. commandos are moved in with their equipment. I have just visited the site for a new landing strip two miles from where a. battle was raging. These few acres were in enemy hands only a short time ago, but now bulldozers churn their way up and down and the runway is almost levelled. “Hundreds of sorties are daily being made by fighters and fighter-bombers from the completed airfields. There is a constant stream of planes lauding and taking off. Supply lines must be kept open for this great advance of the Allied air forces. There must be no hitch in the supply of fuel oil, ammunition and spare parts for the airfields. R.A.F. beach squadrons have been working day and night to make this possible.” Fighters and fighter-bombers using the advanced landing strips have brought their close support for the land forces nearer to the battle area, and are continuously attacking enemy transport. There arc indications that the airmen’s attacks against petrol and storage tanks are slowing up the panzer formations moving toward the battle. Rifle and Shovel.

With half the force using guns and the other half shovels, engineers of the Ninth Air Force dug four landing fields from the soil of Normandy in the first week of the invasion, says Ihe correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain in France. One landing strip is taking shape several miles from the coast, where German dead still lie and shots are still being fired. Bulldozers uproot trees, graders level the ground and riflemen protect the working parties from snipers. In one attack which was. carried out yesterday by the Tactical Air Force, 16 out of a group of 40 storage tanks were completely destroyed.

GOOD FLYING WEATHER

Allied Aircraft Have A Busy Day

LONDON, June. 15. Allied bombers went otit in. a brilliant blue sky today. It was the first perfect day since the invasion of France started. More than 1300 Fortresses and Liberators, escorted by strong forces of Thunderbolts, Lightnings and Mustangs, attacked targets in France and Germany early today. One combat wing of Liberators in attacking a railway target, was met by about 50 single-engined German fighters which made two sharp attacks. Other bombers encountered enemy aircraft. Twelve enemy planes were destroyed. In addition to escort duties, pilots of the Eighth Fighter Command carried out low-level strafing attacks on enemy transport, shooting up two locomotives, four freight cars, six flak cars, five trucks and other ground targets. / Three fighters and th ree ,)onil ’ p . rs are missing from the morning’s operations. Convoy Attacked.

Coastal Command Beaulighters, escorted by Polish Mustangs, were oft' the 1' risian Islands, and without suffering loss attacked a concentration of shipping consisting of a large merchantman, a naval auxiliary, 10 minesweepers, and seven R-boats. The merchantmen and the auxiliary were each hit by two torpedoes and by rocket projectiles, the merchantman being sunk and the auxiliary beached. One minesweeper blew up and sank. A torpedo hit another, and five others were left on fire. Two minesweepers and two R-boats were raked by cannon fire. Previous Night’s Operations.

R.A.F. Mosquito bombers last night attacked the synthetic oil-producing centre of Gelsenkirchen, says aq Air Ministry communique. Mines were also laid in enemy waters. The German news agency • reports that American bombers attacked Hanover and other places in northern Germany early today. German fighters engaged the bombers in air duels. Light bombers last night, attacked enemy convoys and concentrations moving on roads to the battle area. Reports, which are so far incomplete, show that IT enemy planes have been destroyed in air combat since noon on June 14. Fourteen of our fighters are missing. Seven more enemy planes were shot down in Normandy during the night. Mosquitoes of the Air Defence of Britain Command last night shot down two Junkers SS’s, says the Air Ministry. Pilots during the night destroyed seven enemy planes without loss. Reconnaissance shows that the German naval force suffered severely in the attack on Le Havre by the heavy bombers last night, it is officially reported.