TELLING ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 August 1940, Page 6

TELLING ATTACKS

ON ITALIAN AEROPLANE WORKS

LARGE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE DONE.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF BRITISH BOMBERS.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, August 14.

Two of Italy’s most vital aircraft

works, the Caproni factory, at Milan, and the Fiat plant, in Turin, were attacked and seriously damaged in a series of raids by R.A.F. heavy bombers last night. Flying some 1,600 miles, the raiders made a double crossing of the Alps and had to climb three miles high to

surmount the snow-capped peaks. As they headed for home, after attacks which went on until the early hours of this morning, they left behind smashed factories, many of them on fire, and one pilot, as he re-crossed the Alps, could still see a dull glare from the blazing Caproni Works miles behind him.

Visibility was- impeded by some ground haze when the attacks began at about midnight. One pilot, who was over the Fiat Works from 12.30 until 1.15, scored several direct hits and the roof of the works was pierced in several places. He could see his incendiary bombs hitting the holed roof, and after a fierce blaze had broken out there followed two large explosions. Another pilot made three separate runs over the works and he too scored direct hits with his incendiary bombs on the south end of the buildings, causing fires, while one of his heavy bombs struck the other end of the works.

When another pilot arrived, at about 12.45, there was a haze covering the target, but it was insufficient io conceal it, and he too was able to score further hits with heavy bombs and to start more fires. The haze became thicker, but now it was lit by flames, as fires started by the earlier raiders took hold and spread. One pilot, who took up the attack at one o'clock, said the target was on fire when he arrived. From ten thousand feet, he dropped fresh salvos of high explosive bombs and more incendiary bombs, which further increased the blazing area. Railway sidings some distance to the west of the aircraft works were also hit and a road and railway junction south of Turin was attacked. One aircraft straddled the junction with two sticks of heavy-calibre bombs, and another tore up railway lines with a direct hit on the permanent way. The Caproni parent works at Milan, which turn out Italy’s bombing aircraft were badly damaged when raiders attacked from just after midnight until 12.45 a.m. All reported seeing bursts on the target. A salvo of incendiary bombs fell in a line right down the length of the buildings, and as heavy bombs followed them there came a series of large explosions in a cluster of buildings at the south end of the works.

BRITISH LEAFLETS PERTINENT QUESTIONS ASKED. ITALY AS THE VASSAL OF HITLER. (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) ROME, August 14. It is officially stated that the text of leaflets dropped by enemy planes over Turin is as follows: — "Italians! To gain victory and the independence of Italy, your forefathers arose in arms against tyrants and chased their hated enemies—the Germans — from Piedmont and Lombardy. Today, Italy is no longer a free and independent nation. In this war, which you did not want, Italy is a vassal state of Hitler. Why are you in the war? Perhaps for a Greater Italy? Not at all. You are in the war to make Hitler stronger and enable him to exploit Italians for his war.”

Leaflets dropped over Milan read: — ‘’ltalians, who has dragged you into the war? Are you only slaves, willing to bend your backs to your hereditary enemy—Germany? Open your eyes widely, because war with all its terrors is now at the doors of your homes.”

CHILDISH ANGER FRACTIOUS OUTBURST IN ITALIAN PRESS. R.A.F. CALLED COWARDLY. (Received This Day, 12.45 p.m.) ROME, August 14. The Official News Agency leads an outburst of anger in the Italian Press against the British raids and describes them as acts of criminal barbarity. It adds: “The R.A.F. are two cowardly and inferior to risk day time raids, and deliberately violated Swiss neutrality.”