SMASHING BLOW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 1942, Page 3

SMASHING BLOW

STRUCK BY BRITISH BOMBERS BIG PARIS MOTOR WORKS DEVASTATED. ENGAGED IN WAR PRODUCTION FOR GERMANY. LONDON, March 4. British bomber crews which took part in last night’s raid on the Renault Motor Works slate that great devastation was caused. All the pilots describe how they dropped their bombs directly on the target. Civilian areas were untouched. The planes flew so low that debris from some of the explosions struck them. The scene was described as one heap of debris and glowing ruins. Sir Archibald Sinclair, Air Minister, explained in the House of Commons that these works were notorious for their activity on behalf of the enemy. The German production of tanks, aero engines and lorries could not be allowed to go on unhindered merely because the works were in France. Though they occupy ground on both banks of the Seine, the Renault works are concentrated in great part on an island which is connected with the river bank by a bridge. All the British bombers were ordered to bring their bombs back if they had any difficulty in finding their target. The attack, in which our heaviest bombs were used, lasted for two hours. Cur bombers last night also raided Emden and laid mines in enemy waters. Two of our bombers are missing from the night's operations. Late this afternoon a German bomber crashed into the sea off the East Anglian coast. It is believed to have been shot down by a fighter. None of the crew were saved., j VICHY REPORT FACTORIES <§. AERODROMES BOMBED. WORK OF R.A.F. FIGHTERS. LONDON, March 4. The Vichy radio said the R.A.F. iast night bombed aerodromes and factories in industrial suburbs of Paris, notably Boulogne-sur-Seine, Biilancourt in the south-west, and also Neuilly in the north-west. A British Official Wireless message says that in addition to attacking targets in Germany last night the R.A.F. sent a bombing force to raid the Renault works at Biilancourt in Ger-man-occupied France. The Renault motor works are very large and are situated on a bend in the river Seine, south-west of Paris. Since the collapse of France the Renault company has become the outstanding symbol of collaboration with Germany. They are known to have been engaged making and repairing transport vehicles, tanks and aero engines for Germany. - The tactics of R.A.F. cannon-firing fighters in attacking French factories working for the Germans are described by the leader of a Spitfire squadron.

“There is nothing haphazard about these attacks,” he said. “No sudden dash over the coast blazing away with cannon and machine-guns at nothing in particular. With Spitfires a low-flying attack is essential and the target is carefully chosen. Then we make an extremely careful study of roads, railways and rivers. This is most important, as once the French coast is crossed it is preferable navigate without a map. “When all the pilots are certain of the course and the target we take off and, once away from the land, go right down to sea-level. This makes the aircraft almost invisible. When we reach the French coast every advantage is taken of cloud cover. We don’t really object to fighter opposition so long as the odds are pretty fair. But flak is the most serious thing we have to look out for on the other side. Flak can be very accurate and intense, so if the target is important a surprise attack is very necessary. Usually each aircraft makes one attack. Then it sneaks away at a low level and tries to hide behind buildings and trees while the others carry on.

“Our intelligence officer tells us the best part of the factory to hit to cause maximum damage. We concentrate on that. The best fun of all is when there is something explosive m the factory, and when one of our chaps hits the right spot. Only the other day when four of us went for a factory from different directions, firing as we came, we saw huge sections thrown into the air. Then flames began to spread and smoke shot up 500 feet into the air. “When our attack is over we streak for home. On the way back many a pilot offers a silent prayer for his single engine which may have been hit in a vulnerable spot by flak. “Some people ask if these low-level attacks are worth while. From experience I would say, though with cannon and machine-guns we don’t pretend to do what the Bomber and Coastal Commands do with bombs, that we do help upset the German economic war effort. What is more, we believe our sudden incursions do a lot to upset German morale, to say nothing of heartening the French.”