Brooklyn Eagle (January 24, 1943)
Flying Fortresses join 24-hour attacks on Nazis in Europe
London, England (UP) – (Jan. 23)
U.S. Flying Fortresses today joined the Allied 24-hours-a-day attack on the Nazi-held European continent, carrying out a daylight smash at the Nazi submarine bases of Brest and Lorient.
Five of the big Boeing bombers were lost in the attack, a joint U.S.-British communiqué reported, but “excellent results were obtained.”
The Flying Fortress attack came after Allied planes had been pounding objectives in Europe hour after hour through the day and night.
In the course of the attacks, fighter squadrons carried out supporting operations – sweeps of Nazi bases and strongpoints.
Off on night raid
Watchers at a southeast coast town heard RAF planes crossing the Channel just after dusk. A few moments later, heavy explosions were heard in the direction of the French coast.
Radio stations at Paris and in Luxembourg led the air, possibly indicating the presence of British planes.
Not long before the RAF planes took off on their night mission, fast, deadly American-built Mustangs of the Army Cooperation Command streaked over northern France in a daylight raid, attacking German transport.
The Mustangs, North American planes known in the United States as P-51s, strafed from low-level and “considerably dislocated German transport,” the Air Ministry announced.
They attacked 27 railroad locomotives, inflicted many casualties on a company of German troops, and strafed a dredger and five barges, one of which was set afire.