Evening star., 1943-02-27
Allied Raiders
Keep Up Attack
On nNazi Europe
Offensive Carries
Through 48th Hour:
Cologne Hit Hard
BY the Associated Press,

LONDON, Feb. q. - Allied
aerial raiders-possibly both
American and British-carried
the bombing offensive against
the Axis occupied continent
through it's 48th hour by daylight
today following another heavy
blow at Cologne by the RAF.
Flying high in brilliant sunshine,
squadron after squadron swung
across the Channel coast without
any letup in mounting assaults.
Authorities said British planes
alone had carried out more than
1000 sorties for total flying dis
tance of some 1,500, 900 miles in the
last two days. The RAF defines a
sortie as one flight by single plane.
The daylight raids were made
against the northern part of France
and. observers on this side of the
Channel said they were reminiscent
Of the RATS assault on German
occupied bases during the days of
Dunkerque.
Larger Bombs Used.
Cologne was the first city to be
blasted by thousand-plane attack.
It was the target of 1850 British
bombers the night of May 80, 1912.
Then Essen and the Ruhr were
raided by 1000 planes June l and
Bremen June Is.
The size of the raids subsequently
tapered OF, but observers here said
the increased use of four -motored
explosive carriers and the creation
Of 2-ton and Atom blockbusters
helped to make up the difference.
The Cologne raid in the Allied Of
fensive, TO which the United States
Air Forces heavy bombers contrib
uted a powerful attack on the u
boat base of Wilhelmshaven by day.
light yesterday, was of1icially de-
scribed as very heavy"
Ten bombers were lost in the at
tack on the Nazi center. whose 76s,-
900 population and vast war output
l1avr sf1runk considerably under
aerial assaults.
Weather Clear Over TARGET.
1.-The weather over the target WIS
clear, apart from a ground haze, and
good results were seen," the Air
Ministry's communique said. Bombs
also were dropped on objectives In
Western Germany.
Aircraft of the fighter command
attacked railway targets during in
truder patrols over Northern
France"
The German high command, in a
cOmmuniQue broadcast from Berlin,
said Cologne had been subjected to
"a terror raid" in which EIGHT hos
pitals were destroyed" and the pop
ulation suffered casualties. 1t de-
clared IS Allied aircraft were de-
stroyed through yesterday and last
night over the continent and of
the Channel coast.
18th Raid on Cologne.
This was the 18th raid of the war
on Cologne. Since the big attack
there last May Germany is reported
to have given first priority to re-
pairs and rehabilitation of that
capital Of the Rhineland. London
sources said Cologne evacuation
program had reduced the population
to about 100000.
Crews Of the United States For
tresses and Liberators which bombed
Wilhelmshaven yesterday reported
instances in which from Is to 40
fighters attacked at one time, but
said German pilots apparently were
not eager to fly close to the bombers'
guns.
The number of fighters shot down
by the bombers has not been tailed.
In their steady shutting over Axis
territory British light bombers, with
American and Allied fighter support,
struck three times at Nazi-held
Dunkerque while the Fortresses were
returning from Wilhelmshaven.
American flyers returning from
the Wilhelmshaven raid reported
intense fighter and ground opposi-
tion and the loss of seven planes,
equaling the highest toll yet ex-
acted by the German air force on
American raiders.
The pounding of Germany and
occupied Europe went almost with
out retaliation.