The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-21
Allies Strike at Key Italian Bases, Losing But
 One Plane 186 ENEMY PLANES
 DOWNED IN 2 DAYS Attacks Directed Against Sardinian Bases and
 Against GrOsettO
BY c. K. CUNNINGHAM United Press Staff CorrespondentI

Allied Headquarters, North Africa, May 21. - (UP) = American air fleets, striking at key Italian bases, shot down g more Axis aircraft and destroyed 91 aground, it was disclosed today. This made a tWo-day total of 186 enemy planes knocked out in a fierce new struggle for air supremacy over the invasion route to southern Europe.
 Only one Allied plane was lost in the operations extending 30 miles northwest of Rome on Thursday, making total of five missing for two days a ratio of about 37 planes destroyed for each Allied craft lost.
 The destroyed enemy planes in- cluded seven giant ME-323 trans port planes that carry from 120 to 140 fully-equipped soldiers.
 Many other enemy planes were believed destroyed in addition to the 113 reported at headquarters, al- though pilots were not permitted to score 'probables' as destroyed planes. The operations were de- scribed as one of the greatest days of air attack on the enemy air forces since the start of the Tu- nisian campaign.
 The Allied raids were directed Sardinian bases and against Gro- setto, 80 miles northwest of Rome, where American flying fortresses flew on a 400-mile thrust into Italy.
 Headquarters announced that be- tween June 10, 1940, when Italy entered the war, and May 12, 1943, at the close of the Tunisian cam paign, total of 5172 Axis aircraft had been destroyed in air combats alone in the Mediterranean area.
 The middle east command, in- cluding Malta, destroyed 3,415 and the northwest African air forces de- stroyed 1,757.
 Although the North African land war ceased on May 12, some 67 en- emy planes were shot down the fol- lowing week as the Allied Air Forces and navies kept Up relentless pressure on the Axis.
 In the first week following the collapse and surrender Of the Axis in Tunisia, r bombcrs were de- stroyed at night - II by anti-air- craft fire tand six by night fight CTS.
 In attempts to raid Algiers on the nights Of May 12, l3 and 1, the enemy lost five planes each night.
 The Allied onslaught in the last few days has been of special im- portance in whiting down Axis air protection of the Italian area, where the Germans apparently had sent considerable endorsements re- gently. American pilots reported, however, that many of the new LuftWaffe pilots appeared to be green.
 The Luftwaffe has put up import ant air opposition over the stepping stone invasion islands only since WednG--;.y, following a month in which Allied planes encountered few enemy fighters.
 On Thursday, American fighter bombers, mostly Lightnings, ranged up and down Sardinia, attacking bridges, trains and barracks and accounting for a large percentage of the enemy fighters,
 Billy Mitchell bombers attacked Villacidro airdrome in Sardinia. B-26 and Marauder bombers, es- corted by WarhaWkS, bombed near by Dicimomonnu airdrome. Most of the Allied attacks were aimed at Axis air bases, with the Flying oFrt- resses doing one of the finest pre- cision bombing jobs of the war.
 The FortreSseS destroyed 58 of $ enemy airplanes parked on an air.
 tTHAntinnoI 4