SMASHING ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 August 1943, Page 3

SMASHING ATTACK

NUREMBERG VIRTUALLY WIPED OUT R.A.F. DROPS OVER 1,500 TONS. OF BOMBS. SOUTH GERMAN CITY BECOMES INFERNO. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 28. The, Air Ministry announces that aircraft of the Bomber Command last night made a very heavy attack on Nuremberg, the important railway and industrial centre in southern Germany. Mosquitoes bombed objectives in the Ruhr. Mosquitoes and Beaufighters of the Fighter Command on intruder operations attacked railway targets and enemy airfields in France and the Low Countries. Thirtythree of our bombers are missing.

A German communique says that the raid on Nuremberg caused casualties and heavy devastation in residential quarters. German fighters were up in great strength when the city was raided; the enemy used the same tactics as in the Berlin raid, and the defence was almost entirely by night-fighters and searchlights, states the British Air Ministry’s news service. The crews report that there was not a great deal of ak over Nuremberg itself, but there were .more fighters and searchlights than experienced pilots had seen for some time.

A struggle between the bombers and enemy fighters went on all along the route, and it still continued when our aircraft were on their way home. As the air crews approached the heavilydefended towns of southern Germany searchlights were switched on and scores of fighters rose to the attack, while a tremendous force of fighters awaited the bombers over the target. One pilot described the fighters as “milling round like bees.” A great concentration of searchlights tried to pick the bombers up for them. Some of the crews saw as many as 10 fighters at a time- —a large number to see at night time. An American officer who flew in one bomber to watch the raid said he was very impressed by the timing and concentration of the attack. It is estimated that over 1500 tons of high-explosive bombs and tens of thousands of incendiaries were dropped on Nuremberg within 45 minutes. Nuremberg was virtually wiped out, says a “Sunday Times” correspondent at a bomber station Returning crew.s reported great columns of smoke with red cores, rising to between 15,000 ft. and 20,000 ft., which could be seen 150 miles away. The ground defences were overwhelmed and the city was an inferno within a few minutes of the beginning of the attek. The commander of a Lancaster squadron which participated in the raid expressed the opinion that the city was obliterated. HORRIBLE PANIC REPORTED IN NUREMBERG. SEVENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE HOMELESS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, August 29. A horrible panic broke out in Nuremberg after the R.A.F. raid on Friday night, says the Stockholm newspaper, “Allehanda.” Himmler has sent his right-hand man, Police-General Daluege, to Nuremberg. Some 3,400 victims already have been dug out of the ruins. The destruction of 2,900 houses has made 70.000 people homeless. The Germans are now evacuating Munich, Hanover and Ludwigshaven.

DAYLIGHT ATTACKS ON RAILWAYS AND CANALS IN FRANCE. R.A.F. FIGHTER ACTIVITIES. LONDON, August 29. _ R.A.F. fighters maintained their air offensive on France and NorthWest Germany, attacking railway and canal targets. They damaged locomotives and barges. One German fighter was destroyed. One British aircraft is missing from patrol.

The United States authorities announce that 307 Nazi fighters were destroyed in air combats on August 17, when Flying Fortresses attacked Schweinfurt and Regensburg, in Bavaria, on August 17. Fifty-nine bombers were lost in the two operations.