WIDESPREAD RAIDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20876, 31 August 1942, Page 3

WIDESPREAD RAIDS

R.A.F. OFFENSIVE NUREMBERG BATTERED FIRES IN SAARBRUCKEN (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (9 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 30 A strong force of Royal Air Foret bombers on Friday attacked objectives in Nuremberg and Saarbrucken Thirty of our bombers are missing. Nuremberg, formerly a beautiful old city, has been turned by the Germans into an important centre of wai industry. It is well known as a Nazi Party stronghold and has a tank factory and aluminium works making piston rods and castings, and also a factory making heavy electrical equipment, while it is also an important railway centre with great repah shops for locomotives and rolling stock. The weather was perfect for the attack, with scarcely a trace of cloud for miles around the target and r. brilliant moon. With fires springing up from the targets, the crews coulc see buildings and streets almost as clearly as in daytime. One Lancaster pilot reported that there were terrific firesi raging when they arrived and they started more. The defence was very strong and the crews saw many combats going on around them as night fighters attack ed our bombers. At least one Mcsserschmitt 110 was destroyed. The attack on Saarbrucken was made by a force almost as strong as that at Nuremberg. There was some haze over the town, but many fires were reported Pathfinders’ Part It is officially stated that United States Flying Fortresses, escorted by Royal Air Force fighters, bombed a German aerodrome near Courtrai, in Belgium, yesterday. Many bursts were seen on the target. On the return trip, the Fortresses beat of! attacks by enemy fighters, several Oi which were severely damaged, though their destruction could not be confirmed. During this operation, diversionary sweeps, in which Unitec States fighters participated, were made. None of our planes are missing. The Bomber Command now has a number of crews known as Pathfinders. who have been trained ana equipped to begin an attack exactly in the right place. They are all picked men who have volunteered for the task of going in advance of the main force and finding and indicat mg the objective. Their navigation must be scrupulously accurate and their aim unerring. Pathfinders led the attack on Kassel last Thursday night and also led the way to Nuremberg on Friday. Bostons of .the Bomber Command, escorted by fighters, attacked the docks at Ostend yesterday morning while other bombers attacked powei stations in the Lille-Lens area. Twc enemy fighters were destroyed during diversionary sweeps by our fighters. Two bombers and one fighter are missing. N.Z. Pilot’s Success One FWI9O was destroyed by a New Zealand tlignt lieutenant who was with an auxiliary squadron iOrming part of an escort for 1 lying Fortresses wnich Domoed an airenn. lactory at Meauue, says the Ai. Ministry news service. The New Zealancer, who is a flight commander, went down with his section tc attack nve FWi9os ana after giving one a<. snort Durst saw the pilot ian cut. He started to rejoin ihe iormuaon wnen another enemy aircran appeared. Our pilots attacked it ana it went down in a spin, but tney were no.t able to see it crash. There was slight enemy activity over Britain yesterday, Dombs Denis dropped in widely separated peaces, jome uamage ana casualties me reported. une enemy oomoer was snot down oit the south-west coast by fighters.

When enemy raiders last nighi scored direct nits on miners' nouses m a norm-east or ungiana village, nve women, two children, and one man were killed and a numuer o. children injurea. n.K.F. workers rescued a Daoy Doy alive alter digging in tne ruins tnrougnout uic nignt. An enemy plane bombed an inland town in tne soutn Oi Fngiana m eiuyugnt, failing nve men ana one woman.

It is announced in Berlin that .tht Liniwaiie xdsc night bomoea ounoeixit ui u oaynght raid on Cardm were dropped on a large munitions lactory, causing fires.