Evening star., 1943-04-06
British Planes Attack
Enemy Shipping Off
Coast Of France
Germany and Occupied
Europe Get Respite
After II Hours
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, April GRAF fight
ers and Royal Navy planes at
tackled enemy shipping off the
French coast last night, damag-
ing three merchant vessels and
two small escorting craft, the
Air Ministry News Service an
nounced today, but Germany
and Occupied Europe apparently
were given a respite after 72
hours of terrific pounding by Al
lied airmen.
One Navy plane, the news service
said. bombed one medium and two
small ships about 10 miles north of
Dleppe, hitting the target with ali
its bombs and setting the leading
craft aflre.
Four enemy "R-boats" were re-
ported attacked with cannon fire
near LIE Touquet, and flashes of
flame were said to have followed
hits on two of them.
Raj fighter planes returned over
the Channel from the direction of
Northern France today, indicating
new attacks on the German-occu-
pied continent. Bombers also were
believed to have been among the
planes, but they were hidden in
clouds and only the heavy hum OF
their motors could be heard.
United States Army headquarters
announced today that photographs
showed Fortresses and Liberators
made many direct hits on the Erla
plane engine works in the Antwerp
raid yesterday and that the result
ing fires burned out the main
building.
Other Buildings Fired.
Many other buildings were set
afire and heavy explosives damaged
several parts of the plant.
The nearby Gervaert Photographic
products plant, northwest of the
Erla works, also was badly hit and
the main building set afire.
The Erla plant was small tar
get compared with the great Re-
nault factory outside Paris, so sue
cessfully bombed by American aerial
fighters Sunday, but is an important
depot for repairing single
German fighter planes operating on
the western front. In peactime the
plant manufactured Minerva auto
mobiles.
Although many continental radio
stations went off the air during the
night, suggesting that Raj bombers
might again be overhead, the British
failed to issue the early morning re-
port which usually follows any ma
jor aerial operations.
Britain, which has been alert for
possible German reprisals, also had
a raid-free night.
Large Fires Reported.
Meanwhile, the German-con-
trolled Paris radio reported that
large fires and great destruction
were caused in Antwerp.
The raid, said the broadcast,
which was recorded by the Asso-
ciated Press, caused the death Of
221 persons and injured 1856.
The same source reported that
casualties resulting from the Sun
day raid near Paris had killed 300
persons and injured more. than 7OO
A Vichy radio broa dcast last night
said that damage in the raid was
greater than that caused by the
British raid on the same target
March 3, 1912.
After last years attack on the
Seine River plant the Air Ministry
said the Raj scored 500 direct hits,
inflicted damage estimated at 4OO,-
100000 francs and put the tank fac
tory out of production for months.
DNB in Berlin broadcast as
serted 1S0 children were trapped and
killed in an Antwerp school during
yesterdays raid.
1t said 10 Allied planes were
doWned in the Antwerp attack and
elsewhere over occupied territory
during the day.
At the same time the Berlin radio
said the Vichy government had de-
creed a national day of mourning
in France tomorrow when a state
funeral will be held for those killed
in the Sunday raid.
The running fire of comment by
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