Evening star., 1942-04-30
R. A. F. Fires Paris War Plants:
81 Dead, 100 Hurt, Vichy Says;
Air Battle Fought Over France
Goodrich Factory
British Target;
6 Planes Missing
~ the Associated Press.

" fOIISS sVtiSSiu
~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 30.-The r. A.
F. blasted and set fire to the
Goodrich rubber works and the
Gnome -Rhone aircraft engine
plant in the Paris suburb OF
Gennevilliers last night in a
vigorous renewal of the cam
paign to destroy captive French
factories contributing to the
German war arsenal.
This afternoon the r.. A. F.. and
the Nazis fought a gigantic air
battle $4,000 feet over the Northern
French coast as the British carried
into still another day their nonstop
raiding of Nazi objectives, strafing
shipping and airdromes.
Watchers on the cliffs at Folke-
stone followed the dogfights high
above Cap Girls Nez and Boulogne
by the twisting threads OF vapor
trails. Heavy explosions echoed
across Dover Strait.
1t was impossible to count the
planes participating, but at one
point the vapor streaks extended
over an area Of several miles.
Observers reported seeing a plane
formation travelling westward at
great speed. As it appeared to be
over Boulogne. another formation
came up from below to meet it, and
both soon broke up into a succession
Of duek.
1t was learned authoritatively that
fighters and Hurricane bombers
struck at shipping of Brittany and
destroyed two German fighters dur
ing the morning, then later swept
over the Calais area and escorted
Boston bombers in an attack on the
Le Hare docks.
Low-Level Attacks.
The Air Ministry said both plants
In the Paris raid were left aflame by
low-level attacks made in the face
Of anti-aircraft defenses strength
ened since the raid on the Gnome-
Rhone factory April SIS.
(The Goodrich plant was a
subsidiary of the B. r. Goodrich
Co. Of America, but operated as
a French concern with French
officers and was completely writ
ten OF as a loss by the parent
company last year. When Paris
fell in June, 1910, the factory
was manufacturing tires and
mechanical rubber goods. No
Goodrich representative has been
there since0
Six British planes were listed as
missing In the nights operations,
which also included blows at the
docks of Ostend, airdromes in the
Low Countries, and mine-laying in
enemy waters.
Reuters. British news agency, said
the Vichy radio reported So per-
sons killed and about 100 injured
IN Gennevilliers. 1t was the fifth
raid in less than two months on
factories in the Paris area.
tThe Germans acknowledged
that considerable damage was
done to buildings at Gennevil-
liers, 10 miles from the heart Of
Paris. and said the r. A. F. also
raided the North German coast.
dispatches from Vichy said
the British raiders destroyed or
damaged large number of
an1 hix hocvNifn1 nno
British plane was said to have
been shot down and two men,
bers of the crew were killed,
Paris advices to Vichy said)
Naxis Smash At Norwich.
While r. A. r. bombers we're en-
gagged over the continent, the NaZi
air force lashed back with a short
but sharp overnight assault on Nor
wich. in East Anglia. which COM
munique said had caused casualties
and damage-mostly in residential
and shopping areas.
Several large stores in Norwich s
shopping district lay in ruins as a
result of the raid.
Apparently the Nazis had planned
q longer raid on the city but British
said they we're cut short by British
night fighters and the heavy weight
Of explosives hurled into the sky
by anti-aircraft guns.
During the half-hour raid one
church was damaged by an explos-
ion and another by fire. Two mo-
ton picture theaters were hit and
aged or demolished.
Two public shelters were struck
by bombs and seven persons were
killed.
Civil defense services from neigh
boring communities co-operateo
with Norwich fire fighters in sue
csssful effort to save flre-threat-
ened hospital.
The Berlin radio said the raid or
Norwich, which also was bombed
Monday night, was severe re-
prisal for attacks on German
towns.
The Germans said none of theil
planes was shot down, but declared
two British raiders were destroyed
over German occupied territory.
The r. A. F. was favored by gooc
weather and a bright moon over tht
continent last night and there wert
indications the attack on thu
Gnome- -Rhone works was extremel,
heavy-much heavier than the Apri
5 assault, which was subsidiary L
a simultaneous raid on the Rhine
land.
Bases in Occupied France alst
were pounded by the r. A. F. IL
daylight yesterday. American-buil
Douglas bombers, strongly escorted
by fighters, blasted at the broker
docks of Dunkerque. This fora.
and other daylight sweeps owe
Northern France cost the British
two planes, but they reported al
equal number of Nazi aircraft de
stroyed
Tallying up the cross Channel Of
fensive for April, the British re