RUHR BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1943, Page 3

RUHR BATTLE

ELBERFELD SHARED FATE OF BARMEN POWERFUL R.A.F. ONSLAUGHT. FOLLOWED BY AMERICAN DAYLIGHT ATTACK. LONDON, June 25. The 11.A.F. and American Eighth Air Force have deliv--*A»red another double blow against Germany. Not many hours after the Ruhr town of Elberfeld (portion of Wuppertal) had suffered a concentrated attack by the R.A.F., a powerful force of American heavy bombers attacked targets in North-West Germany in daylight.

The weather was bad and the targets were difficult to see. The bombers had numerous fierce clashes with enemy fighters and shot down many of the planes. Eighteen American bombers did not get back. In the R.A.Fs. latest attack on the Ruhr last night, the bombing force was of great strength. The targets were severely pounded. One pilot said the fires merged until the target seemed like one large area of flames. The Air Ministry states that the weight of the attack on Elberfeld was not as heavy as the one on Barmen, the other half of Wuppertal. In the Barmen area, more than 1,000 acres, packed with war factories, were demolished. No industrial town in Germany had been so completely wiped off the map.

The Germans put in everything they had to try to stop the latest attack. They pushed out the outer ring of their defences and as soon as the bombers were over Belgium they encountered a heavy barrage. Guns of all calibres were used in the Ruhr besides huge belts of searchlights. Many night fighters were active. The raid on Elberfeld and attacks on other targets and mine laying cost 33 bombers, eight of them Canadian. The Air Ministry news service states that despite all opposition the bombers arrived over Elberfeld on time. Fires soon started below. One bomber was hit by incendiaries from above. These fell into the bomb bay and the doors were opened to let. them drop out. Elberfeld is slightly bigger than Barmen, the other section of Wuppertal, which was concentrated upon in the previous raid.