"WalterM140" wrote in message
...
Fact is the factory was repeatedly attacked and the most damaging raid
of them was that by the RAF in March 1942 which destroyed 40% of the
factory


Details?


I'll ask again. Details?


From MOD Archives

Bomber Command launched its largest raid thus far of the war, in March 1942
against the large Renault factory at Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, which was
an important source of trucks for the German military. Some 235 bombers
attacked, in an hitherto unprecedented concentration over the target - 121
per hour - which demonstrated that the risk of collision at night was lower
than feared, no accidents being suffered. The raid was a great success -
300 bombs fell directly on the factory, causing an estimated loss of
production of 2,300 trucks and destroyed 40% of the factory.

From Military History Online
Author Brian Grafton

March 3/4 saw the opening of the assault, with an attack on the Renault
works at Billancourt. This was the first major night raid on a non-German
town, and was undertaken only after much soul-searching by the Air Ministry.
It was a striking success, testing many new techniques and devices. The
bomber force was streamed; they bombed at relatively low level; they bombed
by the light of flares; they hit their target with almost the full weight of
available bombers (223 of 235 aircraft found their target). Losses were very
light (one Wellington was lost), and damage was evaluated as 'heavy'

Keith