Imperial Valley Press

Italian Reporter Flies With German, Sees Bridge And Rail Depot Blasted

ROME. Sept. 9. (UP)—An Italian correspondent with the German army wrote today how he flew in a German bomber that destroyed a bridge on the Vistula river and bombed the western railroad station of Warsaw.

The correspondent, Enrico Altavilla, of Rome's La Tribuna, writing from an unnamed German airport said the squadron commander permitted him to take part in the air raid in a German MG bomber

"We took off just before dawn." Altavilla wrote, "After having passed Warthe, we sighted columns of troops and convoys. Two of our planes swooped down on a column, machine gun strafing soldiers who threw themselves on the ground. I saw one soldier stretch his arms out and then go limp.

"While flying only a few hundred meters over a Polish village, I saw Polish machine gunners trying to hit us. They seemed like boys trying to hit an eagle with a slingshot.

"Finally, we reached Warsaw, where anti-air batteries began firing at us.

The bridge was crowded with trucks, armored cars, private cars and soldiers, all of which were unable to move due to a traffic jam.

Our first bomb missed the objective by inches, but the bridge was set afire by the other plane. I saw a truck carrying soldiers explode in the air, while an armored car fell in the Vistula waters. Meanwhile, a large number of private cars succeeded in leaving the bridge.

Soon after, the arches of the bridge collapsed into the water. I saw many soldiers floating amid the debris."