7,9.42 - No, 23

Air Ministry News Service Air Ministry Bulletin No. 7997

Bomber command OVer THE

Bomber Command returned to the attack on the Ruhr last night,

the main objective being at the westcm end, where and

several other towns run into each other. It is an area where war

factories are very numerous.

There most of the the the ■ was cloud way to target, but over

Ruhr, the sky was clear though the wind was not strong enough to

this blow away the smoke and haze which almost always hangs over

black country.

The and the docks at Duisburg-Ruhrort, however, made

excellent landmarks, and a high proportion of the crews was confident

that they had done good work, "The attack was warning up as we left,

"and there a pilot said, were some very good fires,"

Smoke rose to a great height and there were heavy explosions in the inland docks.

There was intense flak and great concentrations of search-

pilot said lights, One that it was the roughest trip ho had ever

made. He weaved and twisted over the target for over an hour before he could got clear after bombing. His aircraft was hit by

anti-aircraft fire, and in the course of his manoeuvres he came down

to eight hundred feet.

Crews’ reports were confirmed by reconnaissance aircraft which Ruhr were over the soon after dawn this morning. The pilots saw

large fires still burning in Duisburg, and others further cast.