TREMENDOUS BLOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 April 1942, Page 3

TREMENDOUS BLOWS

STRUCK BY ROYAL AIR FORCE ROSTOCK BLASTED ON THREE , SUCCESSIVE NIGHTS. MANY OTHER DAY & NIGHT ATTACKS. LONDON, April 26. Rostock, the German Baltic port, was bombed by the R.A.F. last night for the third night in succession. Other targets last night included the Skoda Arms Works at Filsen, the third most important munition factory in Europe, the docks at Dunkirk and aerodromes in occupied France. From all these operations five of our bombers are missing.

The Germans also lost five bombers in an attack on this country, where their heaviest blow was against the residential city of Bath. In what the enemy called a reprisal raid many casualties were caused, all in residential districts. Many private houses were destroyed or badly damaged.

Throughout today R.A.F. fighters carried out sweeps over Northern France. This morning Boston bombers escorted by Spitfires attacked the railway station at St. Omer. In the course of this operation two enemy fighters were shot down. In the afternoon Spitfire squadrons were over Calais and other squadrons escorted Boston bombers, which attacked the railway station of Hazebrouck. Many hits were scored on the yards and on the station itself. Another big offensive blow was carried out this afternoon, but there is no. official news of the operation so far.

BOMBING OF ROSTOCK HEAVIEST & MOST DAMAGING TO DATE. SHIPYARDS AND FACTORIES LEFT BLAZING. LONDON, April 26. Rostock was again attacked last night—the third successive night—by a strong force of bombers. No other town in the world has suffered such a concentrated and terrific pounding from the air as our bombers have given Rostock since Thursday evening. Other bombers last night flew 700 miles across southern Germany to Filsen, in Czechoslovakia, and bombed the Skoda factory, which at the outbreak of the war was the second greatest munitions works in Europe. Other night targets included Dunkirk and German-occupied aerodromes in France.

An Air Ministry communique, reviewing these activities, says that during the morning fighters escorted Boston bombers to Cherbourg and Dunkirk and Hurricane bombers to Calais. Five enemy bombers were destroyed during the Dunkirk attack. In the afternoon, Bostons were escorted to Le Havre and Abbeville, and a fighter sweep was made over the Cherbourg Peninsula. Enemy fighters were encountered in strength over Abbeville and there were many combats. Three enemy fighters were destroyed, making a total of eight during the day. From all these operations, one of our bombers and 15 fighters are missing. During the morning attack on Dunkirk, one Polish Spitfire wing destroyed five Focke-Wulf 190 s without loss. LIMITED ENEMY EFFORT.

It is interesting to note that this Luftwaffe raid on Britain is described in today’s German communique as a reprisal for - continued British attacks on towns in Germany. .According to the German communique, the town selected for the reprisal raid was Exe-ter—-which, for productive importance, must rank almost lowest of the English towns. Furthermore, it is disclosed in. London, this raid was carried out by no more than 12 machines. Indeed, the total number of enemy planes crossing the coast last night was 25. Elsewhere in England there were few casualties and little damage. The R.A.F., in contrast, for the second night in succession, made a heavy attack on the German port of Rostock on the western Baltic. The weather was clear and heavy bombs were dropped on the Heinkel aircraft works and the Neptune shipyards where large fires were left burning. Rostock is particularly important because of the part it plays in the enemy’s production of aircraft and submarines. Both these branches of the Nazi war effort are directly affected by 1 the damage done to the Heinkel and Neptune works. Moreover, the raids interrupt the enemy’s use of the port as a .means of supplying the Russian front.

Preliminary reports of last night’s attack on Rostock are as promising as those of the first night. Crews with orders to attack targets in the main part of Rostock say that as they passed the Heinkel factory a mile or two north of the town, they saw the attack on the factory going well and fires burning fiercely. Crews attacking the Heinkel factory saw equally clearly fires burning in the port where many warehouses were blazing along the waterfront. The docks at Dunkirk and airfields in France and the Low Countries were also attacked during the night by the Bomber and Fighter Commands, while Hudsons of the Coastal Command bombed an enemy supply ship off Norway and set it on fire. From these operations two of our bombers and one fighter are missing.

STRONG AIR FORCES USED ON WIDE FRONT. FIERCE BATTLES FOUGHT AT HIGH ALTITUDE. LONDON, April 25. A review of R.A.F. operations during the past 24 hours gives some idea of the power and range of Britain’s mounting air offensive, employing all types of machines from the heaviest bombers ranging, far over Germany, to fighters conducting fierce sweeps over and across the Channel. It is revealed that at least 400 tons of high-explosive bombs and incendiaries was dropped on Rostock, the German Baltic port, in attacks on two successive nights. It is believed that last night’s raid was made by at least as many bombers as the previous night which was described as an “overmastering concentration of bombers.” The Fighter Command made six

major offensive sweeps within 11 hours, starting early this morning. They ranged over a 250-mile front from Dunkirk to Cherbourg. Enemy,.fighter opposition was the heaviest the Spitfires have encountered this year, and the fiercest fighting occurred mostly at a height of five miles. The leaders of two Spitfire wings reported tremendous fighting at these heights with mixed formations of Messerschmitt 109 s and Focke-Wulf 190 s. Elsewhere the dogfighting was so fierce that few of the R.A.F. pilots could see the end of their victims.