Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-09
yonks
Bomb
Europe

EulOPS
LONDON. Oct. sup - Nor,
than 100 American bombers, Join
ing in one of the wars biggeS
sweeps over France, attacked tar.
gets in the Lille area today.
The American planes, many o.
them Boeing flying fortreSSes
participated in a huge operation
which included American. British
Canadian and other Allied fight
/ ell SquadronS.
Allied planes droned over north
ern France from early morning
until late afternoon.
1t was the biggest American
bombing attack yet carried out in
| the European war theater.
NEW FIGHTERS SEEN
Official announcement of the at
tack was made in a joint COM
munique from U. S. army head
quarters and the British air min
iStry.
New American army fighters, in
action for the first time, sent
people in the Folkestone area
running Tor air raid shelters when
authorities failed to identify them.
Reports spread that the fort
resses were in action in greater
force than at any time since they
set out on the most remarkable
daylight bombing campaign on
record.
Unofficial reports indicated that
the fortresses had attacked the
key Lille industrial area of north
western France.
The Evening News reported that
coastal watchers had seen more
than 100 British heavy bombers in
q single formation.
FULL PARTNERSHIPS
The bombers miles in the air, in
visible usually above the morning
haze, and the fighters at wave
top level opened their attack in
brilliant sunshine.
To Americans here, it meant
that starting today the United
States army air force had en-
tered into full partnership with
the Royal Air Force.
United States army headquar-
ters, hours after the start of the
sweep, said that heavy bombers
of the army air force and many
squadrons of Allied fighters, were
over northern France.
United States army pilots had
flown British Spitfire fighters in
action and British pilots, in the
Dieppe raid, had flown American
made Mustang fighters.
U. S. ON OWN
Today the army was in action
with its own pilots in its own
planes, out to put a final end to
all the reports and theories that
United States army planes, from
the fortreSSeS to the tinieSt tight
ers, were deficient in any way
in battle proWess.
After a long period OF bad
weather, Allied planes started out
over the coast for French and
Belgian occupied territory at 9
a. m. a a. m. EWTD
A powerful force of interceptor
planes patroled the southeast
England coast to form a screen
against enemy reconnaissance or
attack planes.
Suradron after squadron OF Brit
ish Spitfires made for the 2O-mlle
stretch of the French coast be-
tween Calais and Boulogne an'
another fighter force went toward
Belgium. to the north.
GERMANS WORRIED
German planes were soon rae
ing across to the southeast En-
lish coast on anxious reconnaiS-
Sance.
AS the first day shift returned
believed to have been all British
probably with many Canadians
among the pilots, a second great
wave made for the enemy side OF
the strait.
More fighters and fighter bomb
ers that had been in the air Tor
weeks passed over Ramsgate
Then came a bomber force, escort
ed by formations of British Spit
fires and Hurricanes.
1t was believed they were ham
mering at industrial areas OF
northern France.
AS the planes continued to roar
across the strait, watchers saw
American fighters among them
and Harry Hickingbothom, chief
United Press correspondent on the
southeast coast, reported that he
personally had seen large num-
Der of United States fighters.
Hickingbotham reported that
there had been intense aerial ac-
tivity, of what purport was rot
Immediately known, along the
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