POUNDED ONCE AGAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 April 1942, Page 3

POUNDED ONCE AGAIN

WAR FACTORIES IN RUHR & RHINELAND RESULTS OF RECENT BRITISH RAIDS. EQUIVALENT TO WINNING MAJOR TANK BATTLE. LONDON, April 7. R.A.F. bombers were over the Ruhr and Rhineland last night, pounding German war industries. Very bad weather reduced the scale of the attacks and it was difficult to observe results. Five of our planes are missing. “In the raid on Cologne on Sunday night one of our bombers destroyed an enemy fighter. The Air Ministry news service states that in three raids the R.A.F. have complished results which would have been regarded as sensational if they had been carried out by land forces. In the three attacks the greater part of two factories were destroyed. These factories had an annual output of 20,000 heavy army lorries and also built many tanks and other army vehicles. Most of the factories will be out of action; for at least a year and some sections until after the end of the war. The R.A.F. could be said to have won a major tank battle in six hours and at a cost of four bombers and 25 men. Yesterday Coastal Command planes attacked two enemy supply ships off the Norwegian coast. One was hit by a torpedo and one by bombs. One Coastal Command plane is missing.