Evening star., 1944-04-28
u. 5. Bombers
Blast German
Bases in France
Attack Follows Up
3,500-Ton Night
Roid by British
By the Associated Press.

=
LONDON, April 28.-American
heavy and medium bofnbers
blasted Nazi air bases over a
wide area in France today on the
heels of a 3,500-ton Raj bomb
assault by night on Friedrichs-
hafen and rail yards in France
and Belgium.
The blows carried into the l4th
straight day the grinding pre-
invasion air offensive that has
hurled 5000 tons of explosives on
Europe since April Is.
Up to ESQ Flying Fortresses-
winging out after record daylight
pounding of continental targets yes
terday-bombed the Avord airdrome
l30 miles south Of Paris, while me-
dunn Marauders hit another field
in Northern France, and Lightning
fighters shot up third.
No further details of the raids
were disclosed Immediately.
36 Raj Bombers Lost.
In u hours alone, more than 5000
planes have hit the Naz war ma
chine with some 1880 tons Of ex-
plosives s-including a double header
punch by 1900 American heavy
bombers Thursday.
Thirty-six RAF bombers were lost
in the assaults sin very great
strength" on Friedrichshafen, home
of the Zeppelin works and RADIO
location equipment plants, and on
rail yards at Montzen in Belgium
and Aulnoye in France. Bomber
gunners knocked down at least four
German fighters.
Mosquito bombers meanwhile
raided Stuttgart, and. other planes
laid mines.
The main attack by Lancasters
struck Friedrichshafen and was
well concentrated" the Air Minis
try said. Montzen, never bombed
before, is only q few miles from the
German border on a branch Of the
Liege-Aachen railway. Aulnoye,
near the Franco-Belgian frontier on
a main route between France and
Germany, has been bombed re-
peatedly.
1,o0o-MiIe Roundtrip.
The RAF flew ! 1,000-miie round-
trip to deliver the sixth major at
tack on Friedrichshafen on Lake
Constance across. from Switzerland.
The battered city was hit powerfully
by Flying Fortresses last Monday.
and by American planes March 16
and 18. The 9th Air Force lost 43
bombers March 10, most Of them In
the raid on Friedrichshafen.
The RAJ hit into Germany again
lust "a hours after its 4,5oQttcn
assault early Thursday on Essen,
Schweinfurt and railroad yards
near Separations that opened
a day of tremendous raids spear
headed by 1,500 American Flying
Fortresses and Liberators.
The four -engined American
planes struck by morning and late
afternoon against German fortifica-
tions and prime targets in France.
Nine were lost. Hundreds Of other
planes joined the day-long parade,
composed Of every type Of British
and American light and medium
bombers and fighters flown by air.
men of every European Allied coun-
try and every dominion as well as by
Americans.
Eighteen Allied Planes Lost.
Three Marauders and six fighters
of the Allied expeditionary air force
were lost yesterday, besides the nine
heavies. The fighters bagged three
German planes.
The morning formations Of Lib
orators and Flying Fortresses poured
1000 tons of bombs on military tar
gets in Northern France, and before
dusk another fleet 750 strong at
tackled Nazi airdromes at Nancy and
Toul, and railyards at Blainville and
Chalon-Sur-Ma
The American and Allied medium
and light bombers and fighters ham
mered rail yards at Cambria, Arras,
Bethune and Serquex, ripping up the
network of communications supply
ing, the German Atlantic Wall de-
fepcac