GREAT DEVASTATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 July 1943, Page 4

GREAT DEVASTATION

AND HEAVY CASUALTIES CAUSED BY RAID ON ESSEN ADMISSIONS IN GERMAN COMMUNIQUES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 26. A German communique says the R.A.F. raid on Essen last night caused heavy casualties and great devastation. The communique also says that a Luftwaffe heavy bomber attacked the town and harbour of Hull last night. FLYING FORTRESSES ATTACKS ON GERMANY BY DAY. LONDON, July 26. United States Flying Fortresses in daylight today attacked a rubber factory at Hanover. Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg were also raided, the lastnamed for the second day running. The bombers Hew unescorted and shot down more than 50 challenging German fighters. DAYLIGHT SWEEPS MADE BY BRITISH FIGHTERS & BOMBERS. PATCHY OPPOSITION MET. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY, July 26. It is officially stated that many squadrons of Fighter Command Spitfires went out with Typhoons, Typhoon bombers and Bostons'to attack enemy airfields in Northern France and Belgium today. Bostons bombed the Courtrai airfield, Typhoons scored hits among buildings and hangars at the Merville airfield, while other Typhoon bombers hit buildings and a runway at Abbeville and Brucat. Our fighters had many duels with enemy fighters, four of which were destroyed. Three of our aircraft are missing.

Enemy opposition to the sweeps, which ranged from the Belgian frontier to Cherbourg, was patchy, some fighter wings seeing as many as 30 to 40 enemy fighters and others none at all. The Air Sea rescue organisation today picked up two fighter pilots reported missing from yesterday’s operations.