AIR ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 July 1942, Page 4

AIR ATTACKS

pRITISH NIGHT & DAY I OPERATIONS SUCCESSES OVER ENEMY TERFUTORY. DESTRUCTION OF GERMAN FIGHTERS. ! (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.35 a.m.) RUGBY, July 24. Old’ attack on the Ruhr and Rhineland,! including Duisburg, was made in unfavourable weather. Nevertheless some of our aircraft crews caught a glimpse of landmarks through gaps in the clouds- and were able to report that the attack was developed in the ri ff ht'place. The captain of a Halifax said they first got a glimpse of a road bridge near the meeting of the Rhine with the River Ruhr. Then they had a quick sight of the queerly-shaped docks! of Duisberg-Ruhrort before the clouds closed up. He reported that he could see the tremendous flashes of the 40001 b bombs right through the clouds. When the moon shone clear above 1 , the clouds, German fighters had a good chance of finding our bombers. There! were several interceptions. One Halifax was attacked twice by two Junkers 88s. The first was driven off and the second shot down. Two other Junkers were shot down by a Lancaster' and one by a Wellington. Canadian Spitfire pilots who attacked a stationary goods train near CanyBarville reported machine-gun fire from the engine tender. When they left the station the engine had been hit and our aircraft were undamaged. Other fighter pilots taking part in more low-level attacks on rail and river supply lines met with similar success. Near Abbeville, a big factory was raked with cannon and machine-gun fire, resulting in explosions in the building. On the beach at Le Touquet, German soldiers lined up in three ranks were mown down by a Belgian Spitfire pilot. “My cannon and machine-gun fire went well among them,” said the pilot, “and L don’t think many of them could have got away.”