The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-26
Two More Devastating
BonbingS On Augsburg
End Heaviest BIitz Week
NEARLY117,OOO
TONS RAINED
IN I DAYS
BY PHIL AULT
UNITED Press War Correspondence


UNITED Press War Correspondent
London, February &c. -
CUP = The Raj rounded
out the first week of tho
heaviest air offensive in his
tory last night with two more
devastating raids on the Ger
man Messerschmitt Aircraft
center of Augsburg, already
blasted and burning from an
American assault some Ia
hours earlier.
An estimated LOO to 1900
(short) tons of explosives
and fire bombs were cascaded
on Augsburg in the two night
raids, bringing to 1880 to
$1,000 tons the weight Of
bombs dropped in seven days
and nights of the about
Anglo American offensive
designed to smash Germany'a
aircraft industry.
Nazi reports said Italian based
Raj bombers also raided Germany
during the night, bringing the Reich
under two-way attack for the secs
ond consecutive night.
London newspapers estimated
that 1000 British based bombeEs
alone participated in the nights
widespread attacks. In addition to
the all four engined bomber ass
saults on Augsburg, twin-engine0
Mosquitoes raided other objectivea
in southwest Germany. France
Holland and BELGIUM. TWenty-fouD
planes were lost in all operations
including extensive u1ine-layin&
work, the air ministry announced.
German broadcasts said Frank
furt- Main, another Nazi airs
craft center, also was bombed durs
ing the night, but this was not cons
hrmed by any Allied source.
Fires kindled in yesterdays heavy
American daylight attack-one o9
five undertaken by probably more
than 1000 Flying Fortresses, Ldbers
atorS and their escorts from bot6
British and Italian bases guided
the night raiding Lancasters and
Halifaxes to the Messerschmitt as
sembly center and experimental
center at Augsburg.
'The weather was favorable and
reports indicate the bombing VS.
concentrated and effective" an Air
Ministry communique said.
Main Assaults
The main American daylight aDes
saults yesterday, one each by thu
Eighth Air Force from Britain and
the 18th from italy, were directed
against Regensburg, another Mes
serschmitt fighter plane CENTER
while other formations from Britain
attacked Stuttgart and Furth, the
latter near Nuremberg.
The 18th Air Force sent It's bige
gest force Of four engined bomt@sa
ever to attack a single target
against Regensburg and they shot
down a record 90 intercepting fight@
ers in fierce 1O0-minute air battle.
The fighter escort destroyed one
other enemy aircraft and an addi~
tional q planes probably were des=
troyed.
British-based fighters esc0rtin&
9th Air Force bombers accounted
for another ~ enemy planes "a
boost yesterdays bag to at least 120.
The number shot down by BritiBh~
based bomberS was not announced
Immediately. Seventy heavy b0n-
bers and eight fighters were los
from both forces.
The clanestine radio Atlantis r.
ported that Allied planes asreadg
have destroyed or rendered use1eea
IS per cent Of all assembly ana
spare part factories in the Reich.
Adolf Hitler has called an emeEs
gency meeting Of his Luftwaffe and
armament chiefs to discuss special
measures to protect the remainine
factories, the broadcast said.
One big formation Of British fOur4
engined bombers took on soon after
dusk yesterday and swept out across
the east coast for nearly an hour,
while a second force few over the
southeast coast later for what ma
have been a duplicate Of ThufsdaR
nights twin raids on schweillfuEt.
Swiss dispatches said both 1nkzz4
atoms apparently hit southern Ger<
many, the first between 10 eu4 -