OF GERMAN WAR ORGANISATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1943, Page 3

OF GERMAN WAR ORGANISATION

Attacked and Heavily Damaged by R.A.F. Bombers BATTLES FOUGHT AGAINST SWARMS OF NIGHT FIGHTERS FORTY-ONE BRITISH AIRCRAFT LOST LONDON, August 18. Last night, Home-based RA.F. bombers made the year’s heaviest attack by moonlight on any German target, when they bombed a German research centre deep in woods on the Baltic coast, north of Stettin. The buildings and assembly sheds are a vital link in Germany’s defence organisation. They comprise Germany’s research nerve centre, where many scientists are developing a secret weapon—radio location—which Britain thought of first. These factories are larger and more important than those at Friedrichshafen, which were attacked in June last. With great air battles yet to be fought over Germany, the effective bombing of these factories is a hard blow to the Reich. On account of the distance the attack was made almost in daylight, the target being further away than Berlin. As soon as the first bombers appeared, the enemy put up a smoke screen and there was intense anti-aircraft fire. In spite of this, the bombers fought their way through droves of night fighters, found and identified the cleverly camouflaged buildings, came down to within a few thousand feet and dropped 1,500 tons of high-explosive and incendiary bombs on the targets. Heavy ex-* plosions were observed and many building were gutted. The fires started were still visible from the aircraft when these were 150 miles away, on their homeward journey. The bombers shot down a number of German night fighters, but the full tally is not yet compiled. Forty-one bombers were lost.