STORMS DEFIED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 54, 1 September 1944, Page 5

STORMS DEFIED

2000.MILE BOMBER FLIGHT

Rec. 9 a.m. LONDON, August 31 R.A.F. Bomber Command, when it sent strong forces of Lancasters to Stettin and Konigsberg on Tuesday night again gave direct help to the Russian armies on the Eastern* Front, state-: the Air Ministry news service. "These ports are two vital links in the complex German system of communications They mU st hurry supplies to the troops eastwards if the German grmies facing the Russians want to hold on. The Lancasters aimed to stop or at least to check the movement of German troops and the transhipment Qf supplies. The crews flew 2000 miles to reach Konigsberg and return to their base.^ The attack was believed to be of such tactical importance that it was carried out despite predictions of severe electrical storms, which were as t?ad as was anticipated." The .bombers circled the target for hnr^" U« n^ eking a gap for accurate bombing. Then a break in the clouds game markers went down, and the bombing started. Some of the crew! descended below the cloud and bomblow'ltitu^-^^^^ targetfrom a Many of the planes were more than 12 hours in the air, allowing the GerdpSnJS m% Of .time t0 °?ganise their defences and put up fighters, but the R.A.F. airmen outwitted them. The German fighter packs also failed to pre I£n/ a SeC?n^ force of Lancasters saturating a station where many 8000----pounders were dropped.