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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 2352.PDF
356 3OTH, IQ43 WAR IN THE AI against the enemies of France, and soon regular French forces landed to support the natives. American com- mando troops joined them. The Germans withdrew to the eastern side of the island, and massed at Bastia, which was thereupon raided by American Liberators. These bombers had been detached from the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Great Britain to work with the N.W. African Air Force. This was not the first occasion on which the Eighth Air Force has fed the Air Forces in the Mediterranean, for it had provided the Ninth Air Force,' which works in the Middle East, with the majority of the bombers which raided the Ploesti oilfields in Rumania. The growing strength of the U.S. air power in Britain is strik- ingly illustrated by its ability to send out squadrons to help in the work being done in the Mediterranean area. Many Activities TT was rather startling to hear the -*- other day that Liberators of the Ninth U.S. Air Force had bombed Venice and Pescara. The whole world would grieve if Venice were to be seriously damaged, and now that Italian forces are fighting against the Germans on numerous fronts, the Allied reluctance to damage this beau- tiful and most unique of all Italian cities must be stronger than ever. The communique^ however, goes on to say that "an explosion, followed by smoke rising to 5,000ft., was observed in the Venice area," so it may be concluded that it was the in- dustrial quarters of the place on the mainland which were attacked—-the area rather than the city. On several nights recently small for- mations of Mosquitoes made what we may call nujsance raids on Berlin, NOT A HUCKS STARTER, but an aiwhich was quickly cleared and with very slight loss. Every day the Berliners hear of German armies being driven back "according to plan" from their ill-gotten gains in Russia, and of the. difficult situation of the Germans in Italy. They also have a vivid recollection of a recent devastat- ing raid by Bomber Command on The aircraft beyond the dru "ROLL OUT THE BARREL " : Petrol drums marked RegiaMontecorvino airfield; which _was occupied by an advance September nth. — • uij levelling machine on Reggio airfield, made serviceable for the Spitfires. their own city. Consequently the sound of the sirens must make an im- pression on their nerves which would have been almost impossible in the days when German arms were triumphing in all quarters. Mosqui- toes are not Lancasters, but they set the sirens sounding just the same, and their own powers of damage are not negligible. The Adriatic situation must also cause acute anxiety to the Germans. Yugoslav patriots have seized the port of Split, and are said to be fighting in the suburbs of Trieste. The Italian troops are sometimes actively helping them, and at other places are giving up their arms to the patriots. The Germans have shown their anxiety by bombing Split. Evidently it is im- probable that they can attack it by land, and out of the question for them to do anything by sea. After a period of unsuitable weather had kept British bombers on the ground, Hanover was raided on the night of Wednesday, September 22nd. The raid was the most concentrated yet carried out, and a very strong force of bombers discharged their load , in only half an hour. Other raids took place on the same night, ar^d the cost was only 26 bombers and one fighter missing during the 24 urs. Once again the German de-
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