Evening star., 1944-02-27
Record Allied Air Raids Wreck
IS Nozi Centers, Leaving Enemy
Unable to Make Up Plane Losses
Attacks Cost 3, 500
Men and Aircraft
Worth 100000, 900
MAP on Page A-4.)
BY the Associated Press

LONDON, Feb. 26.-Giant fires
burned themselves out in Augs-
burg tonight and the ruins of at
least ID other centers of German
aircraft production gave smould-
ering evidence of the greatest
sustained aerial onslaught in
HISTORIAN onslaught which a
high American Air Forces
spokesman said had so knocked
out Nazi factories that they were
not able to keep up with combat
losses.
The Germans in six days have lost
652 planes in air combat with the
American invaders alone, plus many
more new ones on the ground out
side factories, and uncounted others
in process of completion in the
bombed works.
The cost to the Allies has not been
negligible: About $500 airmen on
382 heavy bombers and more than
10 fighters lost, roughly 100000, 900
worth of planes, but the loss was
described as economical in view of
the aggregate of 1900 sorties and
the great damage done to the enemy.
In the assaults the United States
lost 234 bombers and the RAF 148.
Augsburg Hammered.
The offensive which began one
week ago tonight with 1900 long
tons of bombs dropped on Leipzig
by the RAF, was rounded out with
1,700-ton RAF blow against Augs-
burg Friday night The weeks bomb
tonnage was estimated at 1880
dropped by the Americans and RAF
together.
(Since the tonnage figures usu-
ally are given in British long
tons of 2,240 pounds each, this
would be neary 10000 American
tons of 1000 pounds eachD
Operations went into a temporary
lull today, with Typhoon patrols
over the French coast the only
activity reported. These cost the
Nazis two planes.
But in the week of sustained as
saults, by the RAF at night and the
United States Army Air Forces by
day, the German aircraft industry
has suffered it's greatest losses of
the war.
Production Crippled.
The factories no longer are be-
Heved able to make up air losses,
the American spokesman said. He
disclosed that since January l twin
engined fighter production in the
Reich has been cut 80 per cent and
single-engined fighter production so
per cent. These figures may be re-
vised upward as they are based on
latest reconnaissance and are still
only preliminary.
The greatest damage of all prob
ably was done in the last week, he
said, when the 9th United States
Air Force alone dropped 1885 tons
OF bombs on Germany-a greater
amount than that force dropped
during its entire first year of opera
tions in the European theater.
With the tonnage of the Italy,
based United States 18th Air Force,
the American total rose to 9,425.
The spokesman expressed belief
that Germany had lost her last
hope of maintaining a successful
air defense. She cannot prevent
the strategic bombing of any target
in Germany, he declared, coupling
this last fiat assertion with a
promise that Allied operations
would increase as the year pro-
gressed.
1000 Big Bombers in Raid.
In yesterdays attacks by the 9th
Air Force from Britain and the
18th from Italy, the American forces
threw more than 1900 heavy bomb
ers and from 1000 to LOO fighters
against Germanys air force and it's
factories.
The climactic night attack on
Augsburg by the RAF was carried
out in two sections, solid blows
spaced two and one-half hours
apart.
The city is an important Messer-
schmitt assembly center and site of
the great MaSchinen Fabrik Augs-
burg luxembourg works-the most
important German plant producing
Diesel engines.
The Raj flyers, returning from
jCoo DATDC AIN