PERSISTENT POUNDING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 September 1943, Page 4

PERSISTENT POUNDING

OF AXIS RAIL TRANSPORT CENTRES AND OTHER TARGETS IN FRANCE AND LOW COUNTRIES. WORK OF ALLIED BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.42 a.m.) RUGBY,. September 7. Formations of Marauders of the United States Eighth Air Force and Air Support Command struck at the marshalling yards of St. Pol this morning for the second time in four days, continuing their hammering of vital enemy rail transportation centres in North-Western France. The crews reported good results. They encountered only slight opposition, with Spitfires effectively covering the operation. Other operations are described in an official communique, which states that Flying Fortresses attacked an aircraft factory and airfield at Evere, close to Brussels, and a target near St. Omer, in France, this morning. Good bombing results are reported. Liberators-attacked a convoy off the Dutch coast, and R.A.F. Mitchells and Typhoon bombers attacked the marshalling yards at St. Omer and airfields at Poix and Abbeville. Thunderbolts and R.A.F., Dominion and Allied Spitfires escorted, covered and supported the several bombing operations. Thunderbolts shot down two enemy fighters. All trie bombers returned safely, but one fighter is missing.

Subsequent reports on yesterday's operations show that 34 American aircraft are missing, not 35 as previously reported. Of the number. 33 were Flying Fortresses, five of which are known to have landed in neutral territory, and one was a thunderbolt. Not one enemy fighter was seen by any of the Fighter Command’s hundreds of Spitfires and Typhoons which escorted these bombers on their six-pronged attack.