BOLD EXPLOIT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1943, Page 3

BOLD EXPLOIT

THE AMERICAN ATTACK ON BREMEN FOCKE-WULF FACTORY BOMBED MORE THAN 50 AXIS FIGHTERS DESTROYED. AGAINST LOSS OF 16 BOMBERS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 17. A communique from the American headquarters in Britain announces that strong forces of Flying Fortresses in daylight today attacked the FockeWulf aircraft factory in Bremen. Numerous bursts were seen in the target area. The bombers .which were unescorted, attacked in the face of intense anti-aircraft and fighters opposition. More than 50 enemy fighters were destroyed by the bombers and others were damaged. Sixteen of the bombers are missing. A later statement says that this loss of bombers was the greatest yet sustained in a single operation by the Eighth United States Air Force, but that the final report of today’s operations will probably establish that the record number of enemy fighters was destroyed. Some of the running fights today lasted 105 minutes. R.A.F. OPERATIONS. British aircraft raided Abbeville and swept a wide area in north-western France this afternoon. Canadian Spitfires escorted R.N.Z.A.F. Venturas to Abbeville and brought them all safely home. In these and other fighter operations today five enemy aircraft were destroyed. We lost three, but one pilot is safe. Another Royal Air Force communique says that the Fighter Command, after a daylight offensive culminating in an attack which damaged two vessels off Ushant, began a night offensive as the fading daylight was replaced by bright moonlight, with the enemy transport system by rail, road and water as the chief objective for Whirlwinds,' Beauflghters, Mosquitos and Bostons. The Whirlwinds bombed industrial targets in north-western France and also railway lines at Carentan and Bayeux. Other intruder pilots attacked nearly 20 trains in many parts of the occupied territory. Two of our aircraft are missing. The pilot of one is safe. OFFENSIVE KEPT UP IN DAY & NIGHT OPERATIONS. LONDON, April 18. The R.A.F. in Britain kept up its offensive today in Western Germany. Fighters escorted Ventura bombers, which attacked the docks at Dieppe. No further details of the raid have been received, though it is known that an enemy fighter,was destroyed for the loss of one of ours. Mosquito bombers were out last night over north-west Germany, when they hit at least six trains in the Bremen and Hanover districts. Other Mosquitoes, with Whirlwinds, Typhoons and Beauflghters were on trainbusting raids over France and Belgium. Power stations in France were also attacked. Heavy bombers laid more mines to menace enemy shipping. Altogether, three fighters were lost. DAMAGING RAIDS ON MAIN ITALIAN PORTS. ENEMY SHIPS WRECKED OR DAMAGED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 17. A Middle East air communique reports that heavy bombers attacked the harbour of Naples last night, and bombs were seen to burst along quays and among buildings. Messina, Sicily, and Rossano, in the south of Italy, were also bombed. All the aircraft returned safely. . Flying Fortresses based in Nortn Africa bombed docks and shipping at Palermo yesterday. Hits were scored on vessels, a power-house, and other targets. No planes were lost. . _ The Fortresses in this attack hit six merchantmen and two destroyeis. Reconnaissance photographs revealed that one destroyer was in flames. Blasts wrecked many small craft in the harbour. A Rome communique says that when American bombers yesterday attacked Catania and Palermo considerable damage resulted and 56 persons were killed and 300 injured.