The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-05
DORTMUND COAL
CENTER IS RAIDED
CONTINUED from Page u

dropping bombs at several places
and causing some domage. No one
was seriausly injured In the raids.
preliminary reports indicated
that our bombing was well concen-
Grated" the ministry said.
Four-englned Strings. Lancasters
and HalifaXes dumped many four
ton super block busters as well as
two-ton block busters OH the city,
which is the main easterly transport
exit from the Ruhr valley.
The raid was the heaviest Of rs on
the city since the start IT the war.
In addition, the DorNnund- Ems
canal has been raided Is times. The
last Raj raid Oh Dortmund itself
was on April ID, 1912.
An important center In the West
phalian coal basin, Dortmund has
large steel works, foundries, oil
plants and electricity works, as well
as large alrdrome.
Last nights raid brok'; "a three
night weather-enforced lull IN OPP
erations by the fourengined bomb
ers. They last were In action over
Essen Friday night.
American bombers sinothered i'm
portant industrial Ia eets at Ant
werp with bomb bursts late yestcr.
day In their second raid on the Bel
gian capital In q month.
Fist Lieutenant Norman 3. BEN
nett OF Winston Salem, N. G.,
squadron bombardier IN the Flying
Fortress Eager Eagle, said that the
devastation was 80 complete bomb
ers will not have TO return TO the
target area for some time.
This will go down alongside
Vegesack and Paris as among our
best bombing raids" he said.
Not only was the immediate tar
get wrecked, he said, but bomb
hits also were scored on neighboring
installations such as warehouses
and docks.
Other returning flyers reported
that tunnels OF flame and smoke
rose 1900 TO 1000 feet In the air
only two minutes after the first
demolition bombs crashed on the
target.
Fleets OF American and Allied
fighters escorted the bombers and
kept waiting sWarms OF Focke-Wulf
fighters Mt bay 30 successfully that
not q single bomber was lost. Only
Is TO 80 Focke- Wulfs dared tangle
with the Allied fighters and OF
these only q few managed TO pene-
trate the screen and attack the
bombers.
The escorting fighters shot down
at least two Focke- Wulfs and
bombers accounted for several
others, but three Allied fighters
were lost.
Heavy Casualties
A German broadcast said numer-
Gus residential buildings were de-
Stroycd In the raid and spoke OF
heavy civilian casualties.
Swift British Mosquito boinbers
joined the daylight offensive yester-
day with an attack on power sta
ton NJ the Tague IN occupied Hol-
land, while Vega Ventura bomberS
raided the railway yards at Able
vile In northern France, All
boinbcrS returned from both raids,
but one fighter was lost.
Nine enemy fighters were de-
stroycd In all British operations
yesterday and three other Allied
fighters were lost.
The Air Ministry also disclosed
that Two coastal command aircraft
were lost on shipping econnaissance
off the Norwegian coast yesterday.
Swedish dispatches have reported
German fleet moving northward
from Trondheim on the western
Norwegian coast for attacks on the
Allies northern supply route 10
Russia.
The ministry confirmed that near.
ly 10000 tons OF bombs were dropped
on Germany IN 10 major raids last
month. q total only slightly less
than the record OF more than 10,-
900 tons set In February.