Good bombing was reported in clear weather at all targets. Marauders Continue Attacks While the heavies with their vast escort were pounding the industrial targets and airfields, medium U.S. Marauder bombers continued their attacks on military installations in the Pas de Calais area, completing five straight lossless missions to such targets. The RAF's raid on Berlin, which was made early Sunday morning to avoid moonlight, was pressed through layers of heavy cloud and in weather which cut down Nazi night fighter opposition considerably, crews reported. More than 1,100 tons were dropped, starting more fires and sending columns of smoke up through the clouds. Some estimates have placed at 50,000 tons the figure necessary to create in Berlin the sort of devastation which reduced Hamburg to impotency.
Berlin has roughly three times the pre-war population of Hamburg and considerably more area.
In an official survey of the year's record, Eighth Bomber Command yesterday revealed that December losses of heavy bombers were only 2.6 per cent, representing 167 aircraft. Other official year end totals, substantially as unofficial estimates had listed them on the last day of 1943, put the number of enemy fighters destroyed at 3,465 for the loss of 976 U.S. heavy bombers. The names of 21 pilots designated as aces, after shooting down at least five enemy aircraft, were released yesterday by Maj. Gen. William E. Kepner's Eighth Fighter Command headquarters. Top scorer is Capt.