Evening star., 1944-02-12
j. ). Liberators
Pound Defenses
CaIaisArea
Attacks in Strength
Follow Fortress
Raid on Frankfurt
8, the Associated Press


LONDON, Feb. 12.-American
Liberators swept over the French
invasion coast near Pas de Calais
In strength today, resuming a
pounding of NaZi defenses which
has been going on relentlessly
during 40 of the last 54 days.
Opening daylight assault with
a cover of Thunderbolts and Mus
tangs against the neck of conti-
mental land nearest Britain, the
Liberators carried out the 18th mis-
sion OF the American Air Force in
the last Is days in the wake of
yesterdays heavy Flying Fortress
blow at Frankfurt and a Mosquito
mission by the RAF over Western
and Central Germany last night.
Shortly after the Liberators
struck, Raj fighters ands other
strong Allied formations winged out
to follow up the initial daylight
sorties which began with the dawn.
No enemy aircraft were encoun-
tered by the Liberators or their
flghter escort, United States Air
Force communique said, and all the
American planes returned.
Weather Stops Big Bombers.
The Mosquitoes returned without
loss from the night assault on un-
Identified targets, while the RATS
Iheavy armadas continued to be
blanketed by bad weather which
has kept them grounded since their
last major assault on Berlin on
January 30.
About 20 German raiders, mean
while, crossed the southeast British
coast last night and dropped few
bombs in London and on a south
eastern town. The four raiders
reaching London killed few
persons.
Thirty-seve Nazi planes were
downed yesterday during operations
In which American fighters made
the greatest number Of sorties ever
flown from British bases. Five
United States bombers and Is
fighters, one Of them British, were
lost.
Although the number of Thunder
bolts, Lightnings and Mustangs sup
porting the heavy bombers was not
disclosed, 1t must have exceeded the
700 which escorted the record fleet
Iof 300 bombers which pounded
Frankfurt January 20.
Americans Down 80 Planes.
Thirty-two of the German planes
destroyed were knocked down by
the American fighters, two were
doWned by Norwegian pilots in sup
porting sweeps and the other three
were bagged by American Fortress
gunners. In the last six major op-
eratlons American escort planes
have accounted for 130 of the 1T
German planes destroyed.
Besides pounding Frankfurt for
the second time in four days, the
Fortresses yesterday struck at un-
specified objectives in Germany
while American Liberators and Ma
rauders and RAF and RAAF Mos
quitoS lashed at the French in
vaSion coast.
The Air Ministry announced that
night photography is making a grim
record of the RATS saturation at
tacks against German industrial
Icenters. Photographs brought back
sometimes show the extent of fires
in the target area, searchlight con-
|centrations, flax battery positions
and occasionally record preliminary
bomb damage.
Automatic Process.
Night photography now Is a COM
pletely automatic process, it was
disclosed. A magnesium flash bomb,
timed to explode and illuminate
the target just before the bombs
strike, is installed in every
bomber.
From military standpoint last
nights German raid on Britain was
a fizzle.
Here, however, are couple of ex-
periences not in the communique:
Ronald Simmons is IS. A bomb
shattered his home, pinning him
against a wall which was about to
collapse. While his father and neigh
bore were trying to extricate the
boy, a powerfully built man came
along, braced himself against the
wall and the boy was released-un-
hurt.
The man walked away. No one
learned his name.
A bomb fell in another residential
district and two girls, one and the
other a baby of few months, were
blown out of their wrecked home
into the street. The little girl picked
up her baby sister-unhurt.