MANY ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 December 1943, Page 3

MANY ATTACKS

MADE BY ALLIED AIR FORCES ON TARGETS IN & BEYOND ITALY. ENEMY FIGHTERS HEAVILY DEFEATED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) RUGBY, December 20. The chief news from Italy is of aggressive Allied air action, made possible by better weather. “The scope of operations,” says an air communique, “was greatly widened yesterday. Our heavy bombers, escorted by long-range fighters, were out in force. Augsburg was also attacked. Strong fighter opposition was encountered. Key points of railway communications at Foligno, Pergugia and Trezzo,- in Central Italy, were subjected to sharp and effective attacks by medium bombers. The Ternia railway junction was also well covered with bomb strikes. Medium and light aircraft were active over the ground battle area. A variety of harbour and shipping targets in the Adriatic and off the west coast of Italy were attacked. They included Split and Civita Vecchia. During these and other operations 43 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Sixteen of our aircraft failed to return to base, but some of these are believed to have landed in friendly territory.”

NOTABLE AIR VICTORY. In their big attack on industries in Southern Germany, Allied Mediterranean aircraft were met by one of the largest enemy fighter forces seen in recent weeks. About 100 Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs took the air to attack the Flying Fortresses and Liberators and the Lightning escort knocked down 37 of them and probably destroyed 22 others, in the greatest aerial victory of the month. Eleven of our bombers failed to return to their base, but some are believed to be safe. The raids confirmed a recent prediction that the enemy would be bombed from two directions almost simultaneously. The heaviest attack was delivered by Flying Fortresses on Innsbruck, where many bursts were seen on the railway yards. Liberators, also escorted by Lightnings, dropped bombs on Augsburg, 35 miles northwest of Munich. The bombers released their bombs through heavy clouds

shalling yards north of Rome and hit and then fought off enemy fighters. Marauders attacked railway marPerugia, Arezzo and Foligno, after having flown through heavy flak, but without encountering enemy fighters. Mitchells hit the railway junction at Ternia. Fighter-bombers delivered another attack on Civita Vecchia, hitting factories, supply dumps and communications and also attacking gun positions and communications beyond the Fifth Army battle line. They produced an explosion in a factory. Spitfires destroyed six enemy aircraft in dogfights north of the Fifth Army battle line. Others strafed a train in front of the Eighth Army, causing a freight car to explode and setting fire to the entire train.