SHATTERING BLOW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 July 1943, Page 3

SHATTERING BLOW

AT GERMANY’S MAIN ARMS CENTRE 2,000 TONS OF BOMBS DROPPED ON ESSEN SMOKE RISES FOUR MILES INTO SKY. MOSQUITOES RAID HAMBURG & COLOGNE. LONDON, July 26. The Kriipps armament town of Essen had its heaviest raid so far last night, when 2,000 tons of high-explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped in 50 minutes. When the raid was over, smoke was rising almost four miles into the sky.

On the way to Essen, a Stirling bomber shot down an enemy tighter. Other pilots reported several clashes with enemy fighters over Essen. A Lancaster destroyed a Focke Wulf 190. Hamburg has had its third raid in 24 hours, this time from Mosquitoes. When they were flying towards the target, fires could be seen miles away, still burning from the two earlier raids. Other forces of Mosquitoes bombed targets at Cologne. More Mosquitoes were busy on intruder work in North-West Germany, France and the Low Countries. They bombed several airfields and shot down three enemy planes. Off the north-east coast of England, four enemy aircraft were destroyed in small-scale raids on this country.

From last night’s operations 25 bombers did not return. One fighter is also missing.

The air offensive is being continued on a big scale today, when American Flying Fortresses attacked targets in Germany.

MASSED FIRES AND VIOLENT EXPLOSIONS. TREMENDOUS HAVOC IN ESSEN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.22 a.m.) RUGBY, July 26. Thirteen thousand tons of bombs now have been dropped on Essen. The city had its first 2,000-ton attack last night, easily the heaviest yet made on this objective—the largest industrial city in the Ruhr—states the Air Ministry News Service. Earlier attacks this spring caused widespread devastation, but enough industries remained to leave it still on the list of high priority targets. Over 300 buildings had already been hit in Krupps’ works, but, as this is the biggest armament and heavy engineering plant in German Europe, being as large as a moderate-sized town, it is a target which can only be reduced by repeated, attacks. This time 2,000 tons of highexplosives and incendiaries were dropped in 50 minutes, and by the end of that time smoke from the mass of fires, well concentrated, was rising over 20,000 feet. There were several violent explosions, such as have been so often seen in recent heavy attacks.

“The fires started by the explosions were so bright,” a Lancaster pilot said, “that we could see the bombs dropping from other aircraft.”

The night was very dark, but clear, with only the usual industrial haze of the Ruhr over the target. There were plenty of searchlights, but the flak was not up to the usual standard. According to reports by the crews, a good many night fighters attempted interception. American heavy bombers attacked targets in Northern Germany and me-dium-bombers attacked the German airfield at St. Omer, in enemy-held France, today, states the United States Army Headquarters.