Evening star., 1943-10-10
Raids
Continued From First Page

'SSAllLluCu OAl fAlSG age
new rocket guns" on the American
ships.
Formations which struck Danzig
and Gdynia were confronted by a
great smoke screen believed to have
been thrown up by German des-
troyers, which dashed aboout the
harbors in a desperate attempt to
! protect the installations and ships
one of which possibly may have
been the Nazi battleship Tirpitz,
/ which recently was reported to have
sneaked homeWard from its exposed
refuge in Northern Norway.
FOrtresses Land in Sweden.
indicative of the aerial battles
that ragged over the lower arm of
the Baltic Sea, a Stockholm COM
munique said three American Flying
FortreSSeS had made a forced land
ing IN neutral Sweden after raiding
Northeastern Germany. All crew
members were reported safe. Two
German fighter planes also were
forced down in Sweden, Stockholm
said.
Returning from the days opera
tionS, Maj Boardman c. Reed of
Tacoma. Wash, group leader said:
1t was staggering to see all those
American bombers. I never saw so
many in my life. 1t looked like the
whole 9th Air Force was out there ="
Danzig is approximately 800 miles
from London and the former Polish
port Of Gdynia is II miles northwest
OF Danzig Anklam is 80 miles
north OF Berlin. The attack refuted
the Germans claim that their inner
industrial empire is safe from aeria!
attacks
Nazi Defenses Split
Effectively splitting the German
hghter defenSes as the force roared
, toward its multiple objectives. the
big bombers dropped heavy loads on
harbor installations and docks al
jdynia. which American Army head
quarters said now is used extensively
by the German navy, and also on
submarine Slips and the ship build
ing yard at Danzig. which is actively
i engaged in the construction of u
boats, ---,. 49,. ...,
! The third objective for the preci-
sion blow the Arado Fluszeuewerke
at Anklam, formerly was the chief
manufacturing plants for the stand
ard training aircraft for the Ger
man air force, but is engaged in
turning out vital parts for German
! Fighters.
The formations attacking Gdynia
and Danzig encountered little enemy
opposition over those targets. one
group completing its bombing run
and returning as far as the North
Sea before meeting a small group
OF MeSSerschmitt l10S which were
beaten off in short order, returning
| crewmen reported
But on the Anklam attack the
/ crews reported the formations had
rip-roaring air battles with all types
, OF German fighters. estimated to
number between 100 and 200 and
many Of them equipped with four
rocket guns-two under each wing
Daylight Raids on Berlin Seen.
With the long flight TO Poland
effectively accomplished, there arose
the possibility that daylight raids
on Berlin soon might occupy the
9th Air Force. since the German
capital is considerably closer to
Britain than the targets hit today.
One of the returning crewmen,
most Of whom were aware that the
raid took them within fairly close
range of the battling Russian
armies. joked that he was surprised
that the Russian fighter support
didn't show up
Describing the fighter opposition
on the Anklam, a hyer said the
Germans picked them up over Den
mark and stayed all the way until
the Americans had started their
bombing run.
They threw everything they