Evening star., 1943-11-08
Allied Bomber Force
Roars Over Channel
To Blast Nazi Targets
Ey the Associated Press.


, LONDON, Nov. 8.-Formations
of Allied aircraft roared out
across the English Channel to-
day to continue an offensive
which American heavy bombers
sustained yesterday by carrying
out their third raid on Germany
in five days and their first with
out the loss of a single bomber.
Coastal observers said the daylight
attacking forces appeared to be
composed chiefly of medium bonn
bers, which have ben used largely
for hitting at Nazi airfields and
other military targets in France and
the low Countries.
The bombers were accompanied by
swarms of fighter planes.
The daylight offensive followed
night attacks by the RAF's speedy
Mosquito bombers on objectives in
Western Germany, a bombing of
Abbeville airfield in France BY in
truder patrols, and minelaying
operations.
Two Planes Lost.
The Air Ministry said one bomber
and one fighter were lost In the
nocturnal forayS.
Flying FortresseS struck into West
ern Germany Yesterday with heavy
Thuderbolt fighter escort and at
tackled Dueren. site Of important air
plane parts and light metals plants.
AL bombers and all fighters returned
from the 700-miie trip.
United States 9Th Air Force
headquarters gave no indication of
the size of the Dueren attack force.
but t presumably was less than the
record fleets, estimated at 700 of the
big bomberS, which battered Will
helmshaven last Wednesday and
Gelsenklrchen and Muenster Friday.
Meanwhile, in one OF the most
disastrous air attacks on England
for months, lone German plane
bombed London suburban district
last night, wreCking a crowded dance
nall and causing many casualties.
Many Dancers Killed,
A witness described the scene as
like a battlefield with the dead
and injured lying in streets Uttered
with broken glass, timbers and
bricks. Two emergency mortuaries
were set up.
The bodies of many dancers were
among those recovered from the
Ureckage of the dance hall MANY
Of the couples were Allied servicemen
and their girl friends
1t was not Immediately known
Whether any American soldiers were
among the dancers at the hall. a
popular rendezvous for servicemen.
The German raider swooped and
dropped his explosives Just as hun
dreds were pouring into the streets
from three theaters adjacent to the
dance hall. A single bomb crashed
through the second-foor hall into a
basement restaurant. A whole block
OF buildings was damaged.
All through the night rescue
workers toiled increasingly among
the debris TO reach those trapped
while hundreds waited anXiouslv for
news of relatives and friends. One
man alone rescued 80 persons.
Fires CompIicate Rescue.
Ihe rescue work was complicated
by two fires which broke out, one In
q nearby furniture store. the other in
an lgnlted gas main. Both were ex-.
tlngulshed before spreading.
On official announcement said
/, that bombs were dropped elsewhere
IN Southeast England during the
alert, the sixth in London in as
many nights.
The Allied assault on Dueren was
the second by the Americans in two
weeks against the city, IS miles
southwest Of Cologne.
Some flyers said they failed to see
single German fighter and that
antlalrcraft fire was intermittent
and light The wariness of the Ger /
man fighters was attributed to the
strong escort, while the lack of
ground fire was attributed to a pro-
tectlVe overcast which was unfavor- !
able to the enemy, but did not hin
der the bombing /
IN othef operations Yesterday. the
Raj bombed three Nazi air bases in
France-at Beaumont lie Roger,
Trlcquevllle and Bernav. RAF Mos
ouitos carried out intruder at
tacks on Western Germany the pre-
vious night.
A fighter lost in a supporting
sweep into Northern France was the