DAYLIGHT OFFENSIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 August 1941, Page 5

DAYLIGHT OFFENSIVE

ON VITAL OBJECTIVES IN OCCUPIED TERRITORY Made by British Bombers with Strong Escort I STEEL WORKS ATTACKED FROM HEIGHT OF FIFTY FEET FOURTEEN OF OUR FIGHTERS LOST LONDON. August 21. A major daylight attack was made today in which all three air commands played their part. Three separate attacks were made by Blenheim bombers. In the first the bombers, escorted by many squadrons of fighters, bombed a steel works and foundry in Holland from a height of only 50 feet. The rolling mill, a "vital part of the works, was hit by several bombs, and a second wave of bombers found their mark with bombs dropped 1 among rews of chimneys in the centre of the works. Later in the day, two offensive sweeps were made over Northern France, in which industrial targets and railway communications in the St Omer and Bethune areas were attacked. Coastal Command aircraft attacked enemy shipping off the French coast. f Many hundreds of fighters took part in the vital task of escorting the attacking bombers. They did their work so well that all the bombers and Coastal Command aircraft returned safely. Fourteen fighters failed to return, but the pilot of one is safe. The fighters fought a number of engagements with enemy fighters, one of which was destroyed. RUSSIANS AGAIN RAID BERLIN. Berlin had another visit from Russian planes last night. After showering incendiary and high explosive bombs on their objectives, all the Russian planes returned to their base. R.A.F. objectives last night were confined to targets at sea and in occupied territory.