Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-12-31
Nazis' Outer Bug River Defenses
Are Pierced by Soviet Offensive;
y. S. Flyers Bomb Paris Suburbs
Attack Follows
Big Raids by
5000 Planes
BY the Associated Press.


LONDON, Dec. 31.-American
heavy bombers, supported by
American and Raj fighters,
smashed at targets in France to-
day, it was announced, and the
Paris radio said the bombs
rained in the suburbs of Paris.
The Paris radio said 200 persons
were killed and 1000 injured in the
former French capital
Exact nature of the detectives of
the daylight assault were not an
nounced by American headquarters
as the year-end aerial offensive
which had sent more than 5000
planes laundering against enemy
targets in the previous "a hours
ragged on to a climactic finish
American planes last bombarded
Paris on September Is, striking at
the Cam Ballbearing Works and
the Hispano-Suiza and Caudron-
Renault Airplane and Motor Works.
Other Raids on Paris.
Other American raids on the Paris
region were on April 4 when the
Renault Works was hit. September 3,
when the Messerschmitt Repair Fac
tory was smashed. and September
9, when an aircraft engine factory
was the target.
Paris was among 36 French towns
warned in a BIC broadcast on No.
vember II of impending Allied air
attacks.
Later announcement that Amer
lean Marauders and Raj medium.
light and fighter bombers, escorted
by swarms of fighters, were slam
ming at the French coast indicated
the great formations hammering
the so-called rocket gun coast" and
other French targets might equal
yesterdays record assault.
The Allied medium and lighter
craft attacked unspecified military
detectives in Northern France, the
brief announcement said.
Today's attacks were in the wake
Of an assault on an bjective-Which
was not announced, but which may
have been the chemical and poison
gas works Of the Germans at Lud-
WlgShafen deep in Southwestern
Germany Yesterday by the greatest
fleet of United States bombers and
fighters, perhaps $500 strong. ever
sent against the Reich twenty-five
bombers and II fighters were lost in
Yesterdays big attack.
Terror Attack. Nazis Say.
The Berlin radio said Lud-
Wigshafen, and Mannheim, her twin
industrial city across the Rhine
River, were the targets of the Amer
lean assault
Berlln's report, which termed the
operation terror attack" claimed
80 aircraft were shot down.
The closing raids of l943 today also
followed fresh blows last night bv
Raj Mosquitoes which hit targets in
Western Germany and Northern
France, and new minelaying OPERA
TONS, IN which not a single Allied
plane was lost
The targets of an estimated 500
american medlum and Raj and
Allied medium bombers and fighter
bombers yesterday-announced bv
the officials only as military OBJ
Jectives in Northern France"-pos-
slbly were the 'rocket-gun" emplace-
ments of the Nazis in the Pas de
Calais area.
% Nazi Planes Downed.
The Fortresses and Liberators with
their fighting escorts shot down %
Nazi planes in their daylight forays
yesterday which followed the RATS
2.240-ton blockbusting of Berlin
Wednesday night.
In return the Germans stabbed
only lightly at Southeast England
last night, causing slight damage at
one place but no casualties.
In the heavy smash into Germany
yesterday, some escorting fighters
flew the entire 1.1O0-mile, 81 hour
round trip, establishing a record
penetration of Germany for them.
Returning creWmen said the "skv
(See RAIDS PAGE A1oO