The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-24

Preliminary IcpOIGS Sdlu LIE IdlQ
was concentrated, though the
targets in the later stages of the
raid we're obScured by smoke that
mushroomed to $1,000 feet. Anti
aircraft fire was fairly intense at
the start of the attack, but died
down as the weight of bombs sat-
urated the defenseS.
Dortmund is the headquarters for
the Central Electricity Works and
is the site of steel works, foundries,
coal mines, and many other import
ant war industries.
Four-engined Lancaster, Stirling
and Halifax bombers in Every great
strength" rained thousands of de-
molition bombs ranging up to four
ton super block-busterS, as well as
tens of thousands of fire bombs, on
the war factories supplying Hitler's
armies.
Good weather enabled the first
raiders over the Ruhr to pin-point
their targets and kindle vast fires
that served as beaconS for the re-
naming raiders.
The previous heaviest raids on
Germany was carried out the night
of May II when more than 1900
tons of bombs were dropped on
Duisburg and "a aircraft were lost.
Dortmund had been raided as
times previously, the last time the
night of May 4, when the largest
force of four-enginer sent over
Germany up to that rate bombarded
the city.
German planes struck back at
Britain with damaging attacks on
coastal towns last night and yes
terday, but their efforts were puny
compared with the weight of the
sustained Angelo-American assault
on the continent.
German bombs demolished houses
in residential areas of a northeast
ern England coast town last night,
causing many casualties. Damage
was said to be fairly widespread.
Anti-aircraft guns and night fight
ers drove off German planes before
they could bomb neighboring town.
One German plane was shot down
during the night.
Yesterdays German raids were
the heaviest in recent weeks. A COM
munqiue said at least three places
on the south coast as well as others
on the southeast coast were attacked
with number of persons being
killed. Three enemy planes were shot
down, two by anti-aircraft gunners
and one by fighters.
Iyy, 10 Inli6oU
makers underwent their heaviest
raids of the war. At one, bomb
crashed on a crowded saloon, set
ting it afire, and it was feared that
all inside persisted. Two hotels and
number of other saloons also were
hit.
At another town several hotels and
many large stores were destroyed
A Focke-Wulf fighter bomber crash
ed on house at Bournemouth and
two persons in neighboring hotel
were killed when the plane blew up
Belgium Bombed
British planes also were active IN
daylight yesterday. American-built
Ventures bombed the coke ovens at
Zeebrugge, Belgium, and many
bursts were seen on the target.
Other planes attacked shipping in
the English Channel, hitting tan
ker and damaging at least three
other vessels.
Beaufighters set fire to railroad
targets in Northern France. An air
ministry communique said flames
reached a tremendous height and
two shattering explosions were OBJ
served.
A Russian Tass dispatch from
Stockholm quoted the German
n ewsp per Deutsche Allgemeine
zeitung as saying that most of the
cities in the Rhine and Ruhr IN
dustrial areas have suffered terrible
wounds" in British raids.
THE dead silence of devastation
reigns in many city blocks the
dispatch said. Hundreds of streets
are dead"