Evening star., 1943-11-19
RATS Greatest Bomber Fleet
Blasts Berlin, Ludwigshofen;
Fortresses Hit Western Reich
81 Heavy Planes Of
Force Of Possibly
1000 Are Lost
By the Associated Press.

LONDON, Nov. 19.-The great.
est armada of RAF heavy bomb.
ers ever dispatched to Germany
blasted Berlin and LudWigshafer
last night and today American
Flying Fortresses, with fighter
support, attacked Western Ger
many.
The Fortress targets were not spe.
cited in the first announcement.
At least 700 heavy bombers ano
perhaps 1000 took part in the night
RAF attacks on Berlin and Lud.
wigshafen and 80 bombers were lost
On the basis of these and Other
recent heavy raids, some Londor
quarters promptly suggested that the
Allies may be opening the greatest
bombing offensive ever attempted
against Europe.
Two and four ton blockbusters
we're among the explosives hurled
on Berlin and Ludwigshafen.
Large Fires Started.
Incendiary bombs and high eX-
plosives dumped on the German
capital started large fires whose re-
Election lit up the skies, although
cloud formations prevented immedi-
ate observation of the results of the
first heavy raid there since Sep
tember 3.
The exact number of bombers par
ticipating in the dual blow was not
made known, but between 700 and
800 heavy bombers participated in
some of the raids which leveled
Hamburg and the Air Ministry an
nouncement said last nights total
topped all previous assaults.
The announcement indicated the
main strength of the night forma-
tions struck Berlin with "a great
weight of high explosives and incen-
diary bombs
Clearer weather prevailed ovr
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the world S
largest chemical works-and the sec
ond straight night assault on that
industrial city resulted in large eX-
plOsions.
City's Outskirts Hit.
Reports reaching Stockholm said
the Berlin attack had been directed
chiefly against the city's outskirts,
where the bulk of the capitals great
industries are located.
Since the last raid on the city, the
RATS record bombing concentration
has been raised from so tons per
minute to IA, greatly increasing the
chance for an effective knockout
campaign against the capital should
the Allied command decide to erase
that most important objective in
Europe.
Last nights 62d blow at Ludwigs-
hafen, which also produces U-boat
parts, tanks and other war essen
tials, almost certainly marks that
city as being high on the Allied list
efrtsrgets to be eliminated.
LudWigshafen's twin manufacture
ing city of Mannheim, which lies
across the Rhine, was reported from
Germany this week to have been 80
per cent knockout out.
The great Farben chemical works
stretches for miles along the banks
of the Rhine, and in addition to
turning out explosives it is also en-
gagged in chemical research, possibly
in a study of the secret weapons
the Nazis are seeking to turn the
Allied tide of victories.
Three Previous Big Raids.
Since the devastation of Hamburg
early in August, Berlin previously
had been bombed heavily three
times-August %, when the RAF
lost a record So bombers; August
81, when At were lost, and Septem-
ber when % were lost.
Meanwhile, the RAF has concen-
trated on important industrial
targets-according to a neutral re-
port from Germany this week-and
on supporting the Italian campaign
with raids on Germany's supply
lines.
American Liberators, in a 1900
mile round trip yesterday, spread
destruction through the Germans
biggest Norwegian airplane repair
and maintenance depot at KELLER
IL miles outside Oslo. The opera
ton followed by only "a hours an
other American heavy bomber flight
to Norway to blast the Nazis' biggest
electrolysis plant at Rjukan and the
Knaben mines, Germany's prime
source of steel-hardening molyb-
denum.
A DNB broadcast from Berlin
called last nights RAF operation an
attempted mass attack" Some
damage was acknowledged.
British coastal observers said il
took the RAF bofhbers more than
an hour to cross the channel on the
return fight.
Other Areas Bombed.
The German agency Transocear
also reported attacks 'on various
places in Southwestern and North
ern Germany" and the Vichy radio
said targets in Northern France
likewise were hit by the RAF last
night.
In addition to Britain's own bomb
ers, large force from the Canadian
bomber command also was out last
night, it was disclosed here.
The American Liberators which
attacked Norway yesterday borec
through rough subzero weather
without escort to blast the Kjellel
depot, where increasing numbers o.
German fighters had been goins
for overhauling.
OF nine Liberators listed as miss.
ing, three made forced landings ir
Sweden, where the crews were in.
termed. Eight enemy fighters were
destroyed.
In another feeble attempt at re.
taliation against Britain, few Ger
man planes bombed a Southeastern
England town during the night
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