Evening star., 1943-05-16
THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. G, MAY 1e 1s43
Fortress Raid on Kie|
Described as Most
Accurate Bombing
Pictures ShowAImost
Every Missile Struck
Germon Novol Base
BY the Associated Press.

1y the Associated Press.
A UNITED STATES BOMBER
BASE IN BRITAIN, May 15.-The
daylight Flying Fortress raid on the
German naval base of Kiel yester-
day was probably the most accurate
bombing attack ever made by any
airforce, United States Army head
quarters announced today.
The big U-boat center was one
Of four targets hit by the 9Th Air
Forces medium and heavy bombers,
and pictures taken during and after
the raid show that practically every
bomb found its target.
The first missiles smapked the
main submarine slips and work
shops. As more and more bombers
swarmed over the yards, virtually
the whole target was saturated.
Black smoke mingling with bomb
bursts made the scene an inferno
Of fire and destruction.
Uncompleted U-Boats Struck.
The photographs indicated some
bombs struck U-boats nearing COM
pletion. Other bursts were noted in
the harbor area where submarines
are fitted after launching.
Pictures taken of the Antwerp raid
yesterday disclosed that the for
mer Ford factory and General Mo-
tors assembly plants were again hit.
Now enemy operated, both had been
damaged in previous American
raid.
From the Friday attack on Velzen,
near Ijmuiden in Holland, came a
story Of skillful flying.
Fearless" Fry-Lt. Robert C. Fry
Of Abilene, Tex.-had executed the
difficult feat of landing his swift,
low-level medium bomber three
times on only one engine while in
the United States. and the knack
finally saved his life and those of
his crew members in battle.
1t. Fry's ship, TOO Much of Tex
as" got a piece OF fax through the
crankcase of one of its two engines
just before reaching the target.
Fought to Keep Plane Up.
1T stopped the engine immedi-
ately-if not sooner" remarked
Navigator 1t. Clayton F. Allen,
Binghamton, N. Y.
They were scudding a few feet
over the tree tops at a couple of
hundred miles per hour. Failure
OF a motor in such circumstances
usually makes a plane dip enough
to go crashing into the ground.
To make matters worse, another
piece of fax smashed off third
OF the rudder, making control
much more difficult.
But I'VE just followed standard
operating procedure" laughed Co.
pilot 1t. David J. Wallace of Pom
tiac, Mich. 1--WE feathered the
engine, increased power, and batted
the hell out OF there"
1t. Allen snapped up the open
bomb-bay doors to cut wind re-
sistance. 1t. Fry gunned the re-
naming engine to haul the ship UP
short and keep 1t off the ground,
while 1t. Wallace used all the
strength Of his legs to hold the
broken rudder, and showed the
trimtabs to full"
AS 1t. Allen dumped the bombs
over the North Sea, the other crew
members-Tail Gunner Sergt. Still
man Lupole of Syracuse, N. Y.
Radioman Sergt. Clyde D. Willis of
Columbia. Miss, and Turret Gunner
Sergt. Elmer Rosener, Phoenix.
Ariz.-went to the escape matches
ready for a crash-landing on the
ocean.
But 1t. Wallace kept showing with
all his strength on the controls, 1t.
Fry kept thinking of the lessons
from his previous one-engine land
ings at Lakeland and McDiu Field,
Fla, and finally got the ship down
onto the first airport he saw after
the English coast.
When they landed, the "bovs
didn't bother to say word to me,
1t. Fry said. They just climbed
out and kissed that good right
engine"