LONDON, June 2, 1944 (UP) -- R.A.F. heavy bombers, embarked upon a campaign to ruin Nazi rail communications in Western Europe, attacked German targets in enemy-occupied territory again during the night, it was disclosed Friday, following up daylight attacks upon the French invasion coast by strong formations of United States Ninth Air Force Marauder medium bombers.
Thursday, storms which swept up and down the Channel gave the Germans a 14-hour respite in air attack until the Marauders went out in the evening. All the Marauders returned, encountering moderate flak and no German fighters. The United States planes were escorted by Thunderbolt fighters.
Paris radio said the Belgian rail center of Antwerp was attacked during the day, but there was no immediate Allied confirmation.
Overnight up to 750 R.A.F. heavy bombers battled storms, ice, enemy fighters and flak to unload nearly 3,500 tons of bombs on the French rail centers of Tergnier, Trappes and Saumur, and on military objectives along the French coast.
The heavy R.A.F. attacks were part of what the Air Ministry called "the systematic offensive against railways in Northwest Europe."
Reviewing this offensive, the Air Ministry disclosed that the number of attacks and the accuracy of bombing on ail nerve centers extending roughly to a depth of 100 to 150 miles from the French coast had been so devastating that the "Germans seem to have abandoned all idea of getting all yards in full working order again."
Since the opening of the offensive, the R.A.F. Bomber Command has attacked 38 key rail points, many of which have been hammered with such effect that second attacks have not been necessary.
The heaviest of the R.A.F.'s overnight attacks apparently was directed against Trappes, which in pre-war days handled nearly 4,000 freight cars daily. British coastal observers said attacks on the Atlantic Wall were the mightiest ever.
During the night other R.A.F. bombers laid mines in enemy waters. Eight R.A.F. planes were missing.
Italy-based Allied planes were over Hungary during the night and laid mines in the Danube River, according to Hungarian broadcasts.
Naples announcements revealed that United States 15th Air Force Flying Fortresses and Liberators which raided the Ploesti oil refineries in Romania Wednesday also attacked rail yards at Turnu-Severin near the Danube's Iron Gate. Forty-three enemy planes were destroyed and 14 heavy bombers were missing.
