IN FULL POWER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 August 1943, Page 3

IN FULL POWER

BOMB ATTACKS ON ITALIAN CITIES THOUSAND TONS ON MILAN IN HALF AN HOUR. ROME MARSHALLING YARDS AGAIN BLASTED. LONDON, August 13. Last night the great industrial cities of Milan and Turin were heavily pounded by hundreds of Home-based, bombers. This morning, targets in Rome were attacked by large formations of the North African Air Force. Considerably more than 1,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Milan within half an hour. This is the first North Italian city to get the kind of bombing that German war production centres have become accustomed to recently. The bombing targets were clearly seen. Turin also had an example of rapid bombing. A great bomb load was dropped in half-an-hour. Enemy opposition was slight and ineffective. Flying Fortresses attacked the marshalling yards in the eastern part of Rome and medium bombers—Mitchells and Marauders attacked yards in the north part of the city. Seventeen bombers are missingg from these and other attacks, which included a raid on targets in Berlin by Mosquitoes and intruder operations by R.A.F. fighters over France and the Low Countries.

OUTSTANDING SUCCESS MUCH DAMAGE TO ITALIAN WAR FACTORIES. BLOW STRUCK ALSO AT AXIS COMMUNICATIONS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, August 13. Last night home-based bombers carried over the Alns a much greater load of high-explosive and incendiary bombs than ever before,. Apart from the 1000 tons dropped on objectives in Milan, Turin, with its industries and railways, was effectively attacked. Axis troops, using the Mont Cenis route, the only other main conection with the north besides the line through the Brenner Pass, must travel through Turin. Last night there was bright moonlight, and such clouds as there were did not hide the targets. Pilots who circled above Milan to make reports were convinced that the operation had been an outstanding success. Over the Alps on the way back, rear-gunners could still see a huge pillar of smoke rising straight up to a great height and then spreading out. Though less heavy, the attack on Turin was an equally remarkable example of rapid bombing. The defences were quickly saturated. When Italy entered the war. Milan’sindustries were largely planned to suit the requirements of Germany. The factories include the Pirelli works, the largest rubber plant in Italy, the Breda armament works, the Caproni aircraft factory, the Marelli accumulator works and the Isotta, Fraschini and AlfaRomero engine works. There are many armament and engineering works, as well as chemical plants.

500 TONS OF BOMBS DROPPED IN ROME RAID. NOT A SINGLE PLANE LOST (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.50 p.m.) RUGBY, August 13. Five hundred tons of bombs were dropped in today’s daylight raid on the Rome marshalling yards. The anti-air-craft fire and fighter opposition were more in evidence than in the raid on July 19 but not a single bomber or fighter was lost. Over the San Lorenzo target, bomber formations were attacked, after they had dropped their bombs, by groups of 18 to 20 enemy fighters, two of which were shot down.