London, Mar. 21.
Coastal command aircraft on Wed~ nesday night attacked the submarine base at Lorient, states an Air istry "communique. Many heavy: bombs were seen to burst on the docks and one large fre was started. No alrevatt are missing from these: Operations. One fighter is missing. from a patrol yesterday.
How a British heavy bomber on the' way to raid Cologne on Wednestay: night disposed ofa Messerschmitt Aghter is told by the Air Ministry ows service. The Messerschmitt came three times to attack the bomber, whose fire hit the fighter and probably destroyed it After this encounter' the bomber went on to attack The raiders, according to the lal Joint communique issued by the: Alr and Home Security Ministries, forted a number of fires, mains among business premises in a "'re* attack.
Some of the frst reached serious proportions "but all were being Drought. under control in. the early hours of this morning. Some dam-ge was done ina mumber of parts of the town, but reports so far ceived donot indicate, that the eazualtios will be heavy," the com munique said.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.