The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-03-02
10 BOmbers Lost in Berlin
Raid; Capital Raided 81
Times Before
HUGE FIRES STARTED
BY INVADING PLANES
Detectives in Western Ger
many, Occupied France
Also Struck
BY SIDNEY L. WILLIAMS
(IJnited Press Staff COrreanondenfl

ok SADNEx LIE WAL1AAM6
United Press Staff COrrespOndensD
London, March 2. 49, (UP)
British bombers made their
heaviest raid of the war on
Berlin last night, smashing
at the German capital In Q
concentrated assault that
carried the greatest aerial
offensive in history into ita
seventh day. Nineteen bomb
ers were lost In the Berlin
attack and In subsidiary raids on
western Germany, the air ministry
announced.
The bombers lost in tho Berlin
attack included two from the Royal
Canadian Air Force.
Reports indicate that results over
Berlin were good" the coEnriuniqae
said.
6Sth Berlin Raid
Though Berlin had been raided
81 times previously. never before
had such q great weight Of dniOlt-
ton and fire bombs been dumped
there.
The "thunderbolt" assault was
concentrated into q half hour, the
Dir ministry said, but In the first
few minutes alone huge fires leaped
up In the target area. Bomber crews
that came later said they saw the
fires 20 minutes before they reached
Berlin.
Returning home, the pilots could
see the fires from as far away as
Hanover and Bremen, the latter
nearly 200 miles from Berlin. Four
ton super block buster, capable Of
devastating q six-acre city block
and two-ton block busters were
among the bombs rained on Berlin,
the air ministry said.
All participating planes were four
engined bombers, II added. II
"The sky was free from cloud
and visibility hardly could have
been BETTER" the comrnunique said.
1.-THE crews saw oil the major land.
marks plainly - the river Spree,
lakes and many well-known build.
ings.
"A pilot who stayed inside the
ring Of defenses for Is minutes said
there were many searchlights but
the flax was not up to Berlin's
usual standard and was not intense
once he was inside the outer ring
OF DEFENSE"
First word that the raid was tho
heaviest yet made on Berlin came
from Captain Harold Balfour uIl-
dersecretary Of state for the air.
who brilliantly told an art exhibi-
ton audience:
Berlin got II heavier last night
than II has ever had so far"
Balfour also reported that the
Anglo American day and night
aerial offensive was preparing the
way for our united forces TO In
wade Europe"
Brig. Gen. l.. II. Hedrick, Judge
advocate general OF the u. 3. Army
In Britain, attended the interroga-
ton OF crews at q bomber station
after the Berlin raid.
II saw the crews come In with
great enthusiasm" Hedrick said. n
was impressed and ] believe Hitler
was even more impressed"
The attack coincided WIN 0er-
many's celebration OF "Luftwaffe
day."
A few hours before the British
bombers arrived over Berlin, Ameri.
can bombers based In the middle-
east blasted another OF the great
cities OF the Axis, striking again ~
Naples, 1taly's second port, In day.
light.
Patrols Over France
The Berlin raid was only part o.
the British offensive last night
Smaller bomber forces struck "a
detectives In western Germany and
laid mines In enemy waters whila
fighters carried out intruder pas
trolls over France, the air ministry
said. *N
The announcement that 10 bombs
ers were lost last night In all oper-
atlons indicated on the basis Of
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