AT FULL PRESSURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 December 1943, Page 3

AT FULL PRESSURE

ALLIED AIR OFFENSIVE AGAINST GERMANY

R.A.F. Drops 2,000 Tons of Bombs on Frankfort

SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS ON OTHER CITIES

EXTENDED NIGHT & DAY OPERATIONS

LONDON, December 21. Allied aircraft based on Britain were out on the offensive over Hitler’s Europe again today. From early morning, Allied aircraft were seen flying towards the Continent over the southeast coast. American medium bombers, escorted by Allied fighters, attacked military targets in Northern France. Later this afternoon, Spitfires and Typhoons flew out towards Northern France. Today’s attacks followed on a night of disaster for the Germans, when the Bomber Command made one of the heaviest attacks of the war against Germany’s war industry. E.A.F. bombers went out in very great strength. Frankfurt was the main target and over 2,000 tons of high explosives and incendiaries crashed down on this important centre of the German chemical and armaments industries. Large fires were left burning. The occasion was the first on which Frankfurt had felt the weight of a 2,000 ton attack. Seventy tons of bombs were dropped during every minute of the raid. Bombs of B,ooolbs as well as a great number of 4,000 pounders were dropped. Frankfurt was not the only target. The twin cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen were simultaneously attacked. Mosquitoes also bombed Western Germany and Belgium and mines were laid in enemy waters. From all these' operations, 42 aircraft are missing, ten of them Canadian bombers. During’ the night a Canadian Albacore straddled a string of bombs over three enemy ships north of Calais. A loud explosion followed. Other Canadian’fighters shot down two enemy fighters without loss, American Liberators from Mediterranean bases made a sharp attack on the railway yards at Sofia and others attacked a Greek airfield near Athens. They were escorted by longrange fighters, which shot down 28 enemy aircraft.’ American heavy bombers raided Bremen yesterday. They shot down 40 enemy planes for the loss of 25 bombers and two fighters. There was slight enemy air activity over south-eastern England last night. London had its third alert in three nights.