Evening star., 1942-09-08
Flying Fortresses
Praised for Utrecht
And Rotterdam Raids
Formution Bock lntuct
After Downing Il of
Nuzis' Best Fighters
e TIE Associated Fress.

EN tfe Associated FGeESt
LONDON, Sept. S.--American
Flying Fortresses-once criti-
cized for deficient fire power
were praised again today after a
precision raid on Rotterdam and
Utrecht in Occupied Holland yes
terday from which a formation
of Fortresses returned intact by
fighting off a swarm of German
fighters and shooting IL of the
b2st German planes out of the
sky.
with more crews and aircraft
like these, there can be no doubt
about the mastery of the air over
Europe, said Maj Gen Carl Spaatz,
commander in chief of United States
Air Forces in the European theater
THE Fortresses have amazed the
experts again" the air correspondent
of the Daily Mail wrote.
Making their longest raid into
Nazi-held territory, the Fortresses
bombed the railroad yards at Utrecht
and the Schiedam ship yards at
Rotterdam.
Climax of Aerial Activity.
The attacks brought to a climax
two days of intense aerial activity
against Nazi military installations.
Sunday, the Fortresses directed the
largest raid of their brief activity
in Europe against Meaulte and st.
Omer in France. Two of the giant
bombers were left behind as the
first Fortress losses in these raids
were recorded.
Sunday night ''strong force" of
Raj bombers again battered Duis-
burg at the junction of the Rhine
and Ruhr Rivers and started
tremendous fires in the important
traffic and metallurgical center. The
British announced the loss of nine
planes in that and related opera
tions, indicating that hundreds of
bombers participated.
When daylight came yesterday
single Raj planes headed out over
the North Sea to strike new blows
at the German baSses of Emden and
Bremerhaven.
Then the Flying Fortresses went
up for their attacks on Rotterdam
and Utrecht, accompanied by
force of fighters.
Unfavorable weather over the
continent apparently interrupted
this damaging cycle last night.
Z. S. Spitfires Make Foray.
Spitfires of the United States
Army Air Force made an early
morning foray across the English
Channel today and roared pack
over the English coast at a low
level.
German bombers made their ap-
pearance over England last night,
planes being noted over East An
glia, the home counties and London.
But a communique stated that the
few bombs dropped caused slight
damage. One person was reported
injured. Flares were dropped in
the London area, but heavy anti
aircraft fire drove off the planes
before bombs were released. One
invading bomber was reported de-
stroyed. s
The Flying Fortress raid yes
terday brought forth new story
of gallant crew and a sturdy
plane.
TN returning from the attack at
Rotterdam" statement issued last
night by United States Army Air
Forces headquarters said, "a for
nation Of BITS encountered enemy
fighters and the engine of one air.
craft was damaged.
The pilot, Capt. Aquilla B.
Hughes of Waco, Tex. endeavored
to keep up with our formation by
diving his aircraft, but in doing
so the Flying Fortress fell behind
and became a special target for II
Focke-Wulf 1905 which dived at
tremendous speed from a higher
altitude.
IL German Fighters Destroyed.
"On a second attack of Il enemy
aircraft, Sergt. Gilbert Goar of
Clarkesdale, Miss, himself wounded
shot down F-W 100 which caught
fire as it fell. Then Sergt. Jerry D.
johnson of Milwaukee fired single
burst from his 50-caliber machine
gun into second F-W 100, which
slso burst into smoke. The navi-
gator. 1t. Morris E. Mansell of