Evening star., 1944-06-08
Aerial
Continued From First Page

to be attacked at low level because
s0f@7, ,000-foot clouds %s =
T Other Raj formations ATTACKED
the German city Of Cologne at the
crossing Of the Rhine and laid
mines.
The pattern of attack for RAF
medium bombers changed last right
to operations against six railroad
stations south and west Of Caen
where the enemy was observed de-
training during the daylight.
Eleven victories over enemy air
craft were reported by the night
raiders. Eighty-two German planes
were destroyed in the air and 20 on
the ground during daylight yester-
day as Allied planes flying more
than 5000 sorties bombed and
strafed the Germans on the Nor
mandy beachheads and penetrated
100 miles inland.
The weather was better for aerial
operations today than it had been
since the invasion started. Visibility
was limited by haze and light mist
as the first raiders headed toward
the PaS-de- Calais area of the French
coast but the skies cleared later.
Naxi Planes Attack Beaches.
The Germans were putting up a
stiffer fight in the air than they had
previously. 1t was announced that
small formations Of Nazi planes had
attacked Allied troops on the
beaches yesterday for the first time,
and the Air Ministry said that big
British Lancasters and Halifaxes
had encountered more enemy fight
ers than usual last night.
The Paris area rail functions of
Acheres, Versailles, Massy -Palaiseau
and Juvisy were hit by the night
raiders in operations having the an
nounced purpose of delaying Ger
man east-west military traffic.
A German troop and transport
concentration in a wooded area II
miles from the French invasion
coast also was attacked.
Many of the big British sky giants
bombed their targets from the AL
most unprecedented low level of L.
900 feet. One plane attacking from
900 feet was bounced about in the
air by the force of its exploding
bombs.
The German radio said TODAY
major Allied air attacks had been
made against Lorient and Nantes,
on the west coast of France. in the
early morning hours today.
Weak Air Blow at England.
Straw dummies attached to para
chutes were dropped over the area of
st. Brieux at the same time, said
the broadcast by International In
formation Bureau, Nazi propaganda
agency.
German planes struck a weak
blow at England during the night,
appearing over East Anglia and
dropping some bombs in an area
near a coast town. At least three
OF the enemy planes were DESTROYED.
| Additional reinforcements for air.
borne troops were flown into France
overnight. Jeeps. antitank guns
hioIolSyClcS, IdUiOS ana medical
equipment were among the supplies
dropped by parachute and unloaded
on landing strips.
! Inc pattern of the Allied air at
tack as the weather began improv-
Ing over France followed that which
had been built up during the last
eight weeks, with the planes having
the additional task of providing
close support for the advancing
ground troops.
American and British war planes
OF every type have harried the Nazi
lines of communication into the
Cherbourg Peninsula and blasted
out the Germans secret stores in
missions designed to slow down de-
fensiye operations as much as pos
sible.
United States Flying Fortresses
and Liberators were observed re-
turning over London today from
the first OF the new daylight as
saults as Allied headquarters fur