The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-12
u. S. BOMBERS HIT
FLORENCE, TOULON
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lions in wreckirg the network of
railroads without damaging the
cjty's famed art treasures.
First photographs brought back
from the raid showed hits on the
railroad yards, locomotive repair
shops and rolling stock and dis
closed that no bombs fell closer
than 1,500 feet to any object of
cultural significance, the air force
announced.
Congratulates Airmen
Maj. Gen. John K. Cannon, COM
mander of the tactical air force,
congratulated the Marauder groups
for the Florence raid with the as
sertion, you have hit the most
vital rail target left in Italy and
you have hit it without injury to
the priceless art treasures Of the
Cit. -
"You were picked for this job
because you have demonstrated on
other pin-point targets, bridges
and harbors and the railway yards
in Rome, that you can sharpshoot
at any aiming point without vast
Ing your bombs. You have done it
again today
Padua, like Toulon's submarine
pens which were attacked as re-
Gently as last Tuesday, had been
raided frequently but until today
Allied airnen had spared historic
Florence, even though pounding
enemy communications lines on
all sides of the city.
The heavy bonbers plastered
submarines and submarine pens
at Toulon and covered factories
and port installations with a pat
tern of heavy bombs.
Strong Cover
Twin-tailed Lightning fighters
escorted the big bombers and pro-
vided strong cover which met but
little enemy fighter opposition.
Flax was moderate over the tar
get, in contrast to the raid earl
Ter this week when anti-aircraft
fire was strong and accurate.
Early reports indicated that the
Germans lost heavily in attempt
ing to defect the attack on Padua
over which there developed one of
the biggest aerial battles yet en-
cpuntered by airmen from this
theater.
Thunderbolt fighters escorted the
Padua raiders, and they had to
fight their way through clouds of
German fighters before they could
get the bombers over the railway
junction targets.
The widespread aerial offensive
also sent powerful formations a
gainsl Prato and Pontassievo near
Florence. They reported good COW
erage of the targets.
OF the heavy battle that devel-
oped during the attack on Padua
special air force announcement
said:
Flying Fortresses and their
PAT Thunderbolt escort fought
through waves Of enemy fighters
to attack the already mauled Pad
ia rail yards.
"In a 35-minute running battle
with swarms of Nazi ME109s, ME-
HOS, MA202s and rocket-firing JU-
3es early reports indicate both
bcmbers and fighters downed
large number of enemy fighters,
suffering only minor losses to
themselves.
The widespread operations were
made possible by a sudden break
in the weather and early reports
indicated good results at all tar
gets.
Crewmen were especially briefed
to avoid damage to Florentine
cultural, historic and religious
treasures, headquarters declared,
but the assault had to be made
because the Germans-as at Rome
had made deliberate use of our
obvious reluctance" to risk dam
age to cultural objects.
Aground in Italy, there was pa
troll activity generally, and It.
Gen. Mark w. Clark after inspect
ing the invasion bridgehead be-
low Rome declared things are in
good shape up there; we have de-
clared open season on the Boche,
and have killed many thousands
Of them. Our men love it,
The Allied air force announce
raent declared Florence is no
longer a sanctuary for military
equipment. Today it ceased to be
place where the harassed en-
envy could gather his rolling stock
with little fear of Allied air at
tack"
"a Vichy broadcast, heard BY
CHS, said the raid caused "im-
portant damage" at Florence, and
tie Rome radio declared Allied
planes had bombed the Rome area
again today)