HEAVILY BOMBED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20875, 29 August 1942, Page 3

HEAVILY BOMBED

KASSEL & GYDNIA FACTORIES POUNDED LOSS OF 30 PLANES (By Telegraph—Press Assn.— Copyright.) (British Official Wireleßa.) (10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Aug. 28. Last night a strong force of Royal Air Force btmbers attacked Kassel. The reports indicate that the attack was concentrated and effective. Kassel, which is some 80 miles east of the Ruhr, is an important manufacturing centre. The principal factories are the Henschel loccSmotive works—the li rgest in Europe—the Henschel aircraft engine works, which produce Daimler-Benz engines, and the Fieseler aircraft works, which are producing Messerschmitt fighters. Heavy bombers also attacked objectives at the Baltic port of Gydnia. During these attacks many enemy fighters were encountered and at least one was destroyed and others severely damaged. Further accounts now available ol the raid on Kassel tell how many air craft attacked from 5000 ft. and some from 1500 ft. The pilot of a Wellington, which came in near the end of the attack, saw three fires, each about an acre in extent and, after he had dropped his bombs, more fires were seen. Many Air Combats

At the present stage of the war Kassel, with 218,000 inhabitants, 80 miles east of the Ruhr, is of great importance to Germany. With the moon so bright and visibility good, it vas expected that German night fighters would be out in strength and there were many combats and many stories of how the bombers drove the enemy off. The heavy bombers which attacked Gydnia had a journey of nearly 1800 miles there and back. They found clouds over the port. They were persistent in the attack, one making 12 runs over the target before dropping bombs. Fighter Command planes on “intruder” patrol, attacked railway and other targets in occupied France. In these patrols one enemy aircraft was destroyed. Thirty bombers and two fighters are missing from .the night’s operations. In brilliant moonlight early .this morning, Hurricane bombers attacked enemy merchant shipping in convoy south of Guernsey. Two ships were left on fire, seriously damaged and listing. During the night “intruder” aircraft of the Fighter Command shot up goods trains in occupied France and damaged at least eight locomotives. Widespread daylight sweeps over northern France are announced by headquarters of the European theatre of operations of the United States Army and by the Air Ministry. Flying Fortresses Active “This afternoon,” the communique stated, “Flying Fortresses (8.17’5) of the United States Army Air Force, escorted by Spitfire squadrons of the Royal Air Force and Dqminion and Allied forces, bombed an air-frame factory at Meaulte, near Albert. Many other squadrons of fighters, including Spitfires, of the United States Army Air Force carried out sweeps over' St. Omer and the Etretat. All the Fortresses returned safely. One fighter of the Royal Canadian Air Force is missing. One enemy fighter was destroyed.” The Berlin radio says that the Royal Air Force bombed western, central and north-eastern Germany. It is reported in Zurich that new instructions issued in Berlin in view of the increasing severity of the Royal Air Force raids, say that fire and life insurance policies, proofs of Aryan origin, ration cards, jewels and lists of possessions must be taken to shelters in raids. Bombs were dropped this morning at a place in south Wales and three places in the west of England. These caused a small number of casualties and some damage. . This . morning two enemy aircraft dropped bombs on Bristol. A number of casualties, including some fatal, were reported and some damage was done. An MEIO9 was shot down by oui fighters into .the sea off the southwest coast of England this morning.