SMASHING ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 June 1943, Page 3

SMASHING ATTACK

MADE BY BRITISH NIGHT BOMBERS ON PRINCIPAL FRENCH ARMAMENT WORKS. AND ON NEARBY POWER STATION LONDON, June 20. In their main raid last night, R.A.F. four-engine bombers made a heavy and concentrated attack on the Schneider arms works at Le Creusot, in the centre of France. Another force of bombers attacked a power station five miles from the works. The station supplies the works with power.

Covering 270 acres, the Schneider works manufacture guns, locomotives, tanks and armoured vehicles. The works had been partly repaired since they were heavily damaged by a force of 94 Lancaster bombers which attacked them in October last. The great destruction in the Ruhr has made the French Krupp works, as the Schneider works are called, more valuable than ever to the Germans. Heavy anti-aircraft gun fire was expected, but the raiders last night met with only very light flak. ■ n the night’s operations, which included attacks on targets in the Ruhr and the Rhineland, railways in France and mine-laying in enemy waters, three aircraft were lost. DAYLIGHT OPERATIONS. Bostons of the R.A.F. attacked an airfield in Northern France today. Spitfires, which escorted the bombers, met strong German fighter opposition. A Canadian squadron destroyed one Fockc-Wulf and severely damaged another.

Attacks on German shipping were made by Typhoons and Spitfires. Four ships and two smaller vessels were hit.

RUIN & DEVASTATION

IN MAIN CENTRE OF RUHR WAR INDUSTRY. 1.000 ACRES OF DUSSELDORF LAID WASTE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 19. Over 1000 acres of Dusseldorf is now devastated, and it is possible that the figure will be 1500 acres when everything is checked up, states the Ah Ministry news service. This is the most shattering blow to the German war potential that has so far been struck in the battle of the Ruhr, as nearly all the iron, steel, heavy engineering and armaments plants of the Rhinb and Ruhr district had their head offices and administrative departments in the area that has been laid in ruins. . The town is so essential to the Gelman war effort that when 380 acres was devastated last summer offices and factories were reconstructed. These again have been destroyed and there is probably three times as much to be done to restore them, which would probably be impossible at this stage ol the war. Much of the damage was done by fire, which evidently swept the whole district and. was burning seven days after the raid.