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27 March 1944 - Bombardment of the Air Base.
Alarm was given at 12h30 but nobody takes care of it.
I happened so often !Until about 13h50 no engine noise was heard.Then, very high, on the Ocean, about 13h56 we saw a long string of planes, direction South East.
A few minutes later, we heard the engines of three planesdirection inland. Were they German fighters which took off or some allied planes recognising the target? Neither one or the other; because suddenly the planes were stuck in the ground by an intense shooting of guns.
Then during 25 minutes, from South to North, allied waves bombed non stop the Camp with all kinds of bombs, destroying hangars, houses, planes and material, putting fire to gasoline tanks, cutting up the runways and setting several fires.
After the bombers, the fighter shoot against the Base and its around putting fire to the communal forest.
As soon as the three allied planes had attacked the German planes, German flak tried to answer but she immediately stopped shooting when the first
wave started bombing. She was not destroyed though.
For this raid Allies had put more than 200 ships.
CAZAUX village had been more or less spared.The first bomb did no damage; second near the schools place,
wounded at the head a young Polish boy Jean Piatkowoski; the third fall in front of the house of Mme Taraube; the two next ones near the Solidarity Home and Baudet house which they damaged; the others spread over the sport field and the woods which follow killing Mr and Mrs Mazel, their son was wounded. Mr and Mrs Faure, Mme Montagnet and her daughter. In total civil population countes 3 killed and 18 wounded ( out of which 2 killed and 5 wounded in the village the rest in the Base).
The number of Germans killed has never been known.
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Archives Municipales La Teste
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