BEHIND BATTLE ZONE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 230, 27 June 1944, Page 5

BEHIND BATTLE ZONE

Allied Bombers Hamper Enemy Reinforcement LONDON, June 25. Air bombardment today gave the ground units in Normandy invaluable aid, reports tonight’s communique. Fighterbombers, continuing obstruction of enemy movements toward the battle zone, attacked a series of rail targets. These included bridges, fuel tanks, and rolling stock in the Chartres, Breux and Nantes area, and also rail crossings at Conches and Mezidon. The raiders severed at four places the railway tracks between Chartres and Nantes. American Liberators and Fortresses went for four airfields near Toulouse and south of Paris, and R.A.F. Halifaxes and Lancasters attacked flying-bomb sites in northern France. Ten of these sites were attacked by more than 1000 heavy bomhers between last evenin'g and early this morning. Later today another force of Lancasters and Halifaxes, and still more Liberators, made further attacks on military installations in the Pas de Calais. So far these targets have not been named.

Coastal planes early today attacked Eboats in. the eastern part of the Channel.

German air opposition to the day's operations was sporadic on the whole. Fighters escorting the heavy bombers shot down 19 German aircraft. Fighterbombers fought six separate engagements and destroyed 25 aircraft, making a total of 44. Twpnty-six American aircraft have been lost—l 3 heavy bombers, nine fighter-bombers, and four fighters. The R.A.F. lost 23 bombers during the night.