Evening star., 1943-12-01
Raids
Continued From First Page.

months bomb weight, including
$1,000 long tons by the Raj on Ger
many alone.
In November's raids of record size
the United States 9th Air Force
cut October's average loss by two
thirds-to eight bombers per raid
against weakening German resist
ance. It's total November loss was
80 bombers.
Air Minister Sir Archibald Sin
clair told the House of Commons
today that since the beginning of
the year the USAAF has lost 829
bombers over Europe, compared with
the RATS loss of 2,083 at night and
los by day.
Beaufghters of the Royal Cana
dian Air Force last night attacked
an enemy convoy off the Norwe-
gian coast last night, damaging
two merchant vessels, and mines
were laid in enemy waters, an Air
Ministry commuinioue said.
The overnight assaults were car
ried out without the loss of single
plane, the announcement said.
Yesterday the United States 9th
Air Force wound up its best op-
irrational month Of the war with the
smashing attack on the industrial
center of Solingen. The assault
brought to II the number of ma ior
daylight operations carried out by
Britain-based American airmen in
November, exceeding the peak
months of July and September, each
Of which had witnessed 10 United
States heavy bomber forays
The Solingen raid was carried out
at cost of two heavy bombers and
five fighters. while seven enemy air.
craft were shot down-siX by fight
ers and one by Fortress.
Fighter Losses Greater.
1t was the second successive raid
In which American fighter losses
exceeded bomber losses, 16 fighters
and 13 bombers having been lost
Monday in the massive assault on
Bremen.
Whether these figures indicated
the adoption of new tactics on the
part of the Germans, whether they
were unable to get at the Fortresses
because of heavy fighter escorts or
whether they have grown wary of
attacking the big bombers was not
Immediately clear.
Yesterdays raid on Solingen was
the first attack on that target The
city lies IA miles southeast of Oft
bombed Dusseldorf and is the site
of the largest nonferrous metal cast
ing foundry in Europe. It's prod
ucts are used in building German
fighter planes. 1t was famed in the
Middle Ages for its sword blades.
AS the Fortresses struck at Solin-
gen from the west, the Budapest
radio asserted that two waves of
American bombers flew over West
ern Hungary in the direction of
Vienna, suggesting that Allied
planes from southern bases might
again be hitting at Wiener Neustadt,
south of Vienna.
Five of the six planes downed yes
terday by Allied fighters were caught
by Typhoons sweeping across Hol-
land in support OF the Fortresses.
One of the destroyed planes was a
Junkers 1873, a new type of German
light bomber.
That the Allies were able to carry
out joint total of 81 heavy raids
last month-only one under the peak
month of August-showed how effec-
lively they were meeting the
weather problem and boded little
respite for Germany through the
winter months.
Meanwhile, from Berlin, the bulls
eye of the aerial offensive, came re-
ports which indicated that the Nazis
were taking advantage of the tenn
porary respite-the last raid on the
capital was Friday night-to move
everything worthwhile from the city