Evening star., 1944-01-30
Frankfurt
Continued From First Page.)

livered three cripling main blows
on the German homeland and in
addition engaged in a number OF
secondary mine-laying and bomb
ing operations which were excep-
tlonally widespread The entire
effort involved probably well over
1000 planes.
Last night the German longwave
transmitters, including the country's
largest, Observation-Disclosures, went of
the air, suggesting new night raids
on German territory and perhaps
the third in row on Berlin.
Al Bombers Lost.
The RAF, flying "in very great
strength"-probably 800 planes
kept the bombing of Berlin Friday
night well concentrated and large
areas of fire were observed" the Air
Ministry announced. Forty-seven of
the big bombers were lost.
Swedish dispatches reported great
fires raging in the German capital
and one report said the great
Tempelhof Airport apparently was
Knocked out.
The authoritative British Press
Association speculated, however, thai
it might require a half million mer
and 10000 bomber flights to win the
battle of Berlin. 1t estimated the
cost might be 5000 men and 8O(
aircraft and noted that more thar
250,000 persons in the air or al
British bases already were partici.
pating in the attack which is be-
lieved now half over"
Among the American Fortresse!
lost yesterday was one rammec
from below by a German fighter
that it had knocked out of control
Sergt. Roger D. Palmer of Crane
Island, Nebr., gunner in a nearby
plane, said, The fighter was hi
by the ball turret gunner but zoomee
upward and rammed the Fort, tear.
ing the ring wing completely off.
Fly Over Switzerland.
In Bern it was announced thai
three American bombers, apparently
from the Frankfurt attack, crossed
over Switzerland at midday ane
that Swiss fighters took off "tt
drive away the foreign aircraft.
While the record force of bomb.
ers was blasting Frankfurt, Ameri.
can medium Marauders again stab.
bed across the Channel at secre
Qualifications blocking the shortest
invasion route to Europe. 1t wa!
the tWenty-eighth attack in a 40
day campaign to obliterate these de.
lenses along the coast of Northern
France, which were hit at least once
every day last week.
The Marauder raid was com.
plemented by sweeps carried out by
Raj light bombers and fighter,
which also hit a Brittany airbast
and enemy shipping off the Chan.
mel Island of Jersey. Supportins
Raj lighters, which also covered
the return of the American heavy
bombers from the continent, shot
down four German planes. Sever
British planes failed to return from
the operations
Apparently all the German fighter
strength was concentrated arouno
Berlin and Frankfurt because thu
Marauders found the air deserted
over Northern France.
London Has 7O1st Alert.
During the evening London ex.
perienced its 701st air alert of tht
war and the eight this year. Tht
conclusions of heavy antiaircraft
gunfire shook houses in several areas
before the all clear was given. Some
high explosives struck the Londor
area. One observer said the Naz
raiders appeared to come in relay.
from two or three points.
Six persons were believed to hav,
been killed and others injured wher
a bomb struck a surface shelter
About dozen persons were in tn,
shelter. Rescue workers dug init
the wreckage to recover the bodies
Dancers at school party in tn,
outer London area got out safel,
from building, the upper floor O
which was fired by incendiaries
One downtown building got direc
hit.
The fighters of the Frankfurt es.
cort, presumably also in recore
numbers, uncovered a new methos
of protecting the bombers over theil
target. They formed a gigantic cor.
ridor down which the bombers, lee
by another formation of fighter.
forming spearhead, flew to theil
objective.
At Least Partly Successful.
The plan proved at least partly
successful because many Of the re.