The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-03-13
1000 to 5000 Tons OF
Shells Dropped; e
Planes Lost
SMOKE SWIRLS $4,000
FEET COVERING TARGET
Two Big Explosions Fol.
low Aerial Offensive OF
Night Raiders
BY WILLIAM d. DICKINSON
UNITED Press staff Correspondent

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London, March Is. (UP)
$500 Hundreds of Britain's big
gest Bombers all but COM
pleted the destruction Of
Essen and It's great Krupp
Arms Works last night with
1000 to 5000 tons OF bombs
In what was perhaps the
heaviest air attack In history.
The Air Ministry announced
that the attack was VERY heavy
and concentrated and preliminary
reports indicated that the weight
OF bombs dropped may have
cqualled, II not exceeded the 5000
tons unloadcd during each OF last
years 1000. plane raids Oh Cologne,
Essen and Bremen,
Twenty-thrce bombers were lost
In last nights attack--nn indication
that the raiding force numbered
close TO 500--and Allied observers
said the loss could be considered
eight" IN view OF the weight Of the
attack,
British commentators recently
pointed out that 500 Of BHtain'8
present four-englned bombers could
carry weight OF bombs equal 70
that one OF Inst summers 1000
plane forces, which were composed
IN large part Of two-engined air.
craft,
At the end CT last nights raid ON
Essen, tho dir ministry said q huge
rectangular mass OF fire was obs
served and m enormous cloud OF
smoke swirling 10 u height OF 49,
900 feet covered the target,
Az least two big explosions oc.
cured 10 minutes after the start OF
the raid. One pilot making bomb
Ing run at the time OF the second
blast said tho mushrooming flames
III UP his cockpit.
when We arrived, the whole tar.
get was III up by fires" the pilot OK
a Stirling bomber said. suddenly
there was huge explosion and .
sheet OF flame shot UP 70 about LOCO
feet"
Despite the smoke rising from tho
target, he said, he still could SEQ
the glow OF flames IN the sky When
he crossed the Dutch coast-y-moro
than 100 miles away--on the re-
turn Journey,
Tho Germans employed both
heavy and light nnti-nircrait gums.
hundreds OF scarehliRats und many
night fighters In u desperate but fus
tilo aHnpt IN flpiUn afr Ihn Pnif1apg
Reports indicate that the Krupp
plant received serious damage" u
British announcement Enid,
1.-THE Raj encountered notlccab!y
stronger dcicnScs including intense,
accurate FAX and numerous search
lights, but pressed home the nttnck
with the greatest determination,
The assault described MS very
heavy" came exactly ono week after
another force OF British bomberS
had devastated $50 acres OF Essen IN
raid officially described rs tho
most concentrated air attack OF tho
war"
Official estimates disclosed that
1900 tons OF demolition and iiro
bombs were cnscadcd on Essen last
week, including nearly 1000 tons ON
the Krupp plant alone, Thirteen Of
the plants main buildings were
wrecked.
Last nights raid was the b3rd oS
the war and the fourth this year
OH Essen, which IL In the heAgt o.
Gcrmany's Ruhr Valley the main
arsenal for Hitler's armies.
The announcement that Essen'a
deionseS we're noticeably stronger
last night indicated tina the Ger.
mans had rushed new batteries Of
anti-aircraft guns and Searchlights
to the battered city, whose destruc-
ton Is exceeded only by that In
Cologne. In last weeks attack. tho
anti-Rircraft barrage was said u
have become more spasdomic and
weaker as the raid progressed.
German planes attempted anoth-
er series OF feeble retaliation raids
last night, dropping high explosives
and fire bombs ut scattered points.