Evening star., 1944-03-25
1000 RAF Bombers Blast Berlin
And despite Running Battle
With Fleet of German Fiqhters
$500 Tons of Bombs
Hit Nozi Capital;
73 Planes Lost
By the Associated Press.


LONDON, Mar. 25.-The majol
part of 1000 RAF bomber.
fought through one of the bit
terest night sky battles of the
war last night and dumped 2,80(
tons of bombs on Berlin in the
final drive for the complete OBJ
liberation of the German capital
Seventy-three British bombers
were shot down over Berlin anc
other targets by large forces oil
German night fighters which the
Berlin radio said started attacking
the mighty RAF armada as il
crossed Holland, in the North Sea
and fought it all the way to the
capital.
Germany claimed 102 bombers
were shot down in the long run
ming fight which eliminated in an
hour-long battle over the capital as
formation after formation roared
over starting new fires.
Kiel Also Blasted.
The British Air MinistrX,s report
said Kiel also had been hit by the
night raiders "along with other OBJ
jectNes in Western Germany" A
German broadcast said Leipzig and
Weimer also had been hit, but the
Air Ministry did not name these as
targets.
Last nights bomb load equaled
the record load loosed over Berlin
in the Raj raid of February IS, but
fell short of the all-time mark of
1880 tons dumped on Frankfort
Wednesday.
AS the British armada streamed
eastward. about 100 German bomb
ers broke through London's aerial
barrage to blast at the British capt.
tails business properties, dwellings
and churches with tons of incen-
diaries in the longest raid in IL
months. Eleven we're shot down.
1T is clear the British have suf-
fered one of their heaviest defeats
in the battle of Berlin" said a Ger
man broadcast describing the saw
age attacks of the reawakened Ger
man air forcee.
Last-Ditch Nazi Stand Seen.
Last nights loss was the RATS
highest in its Is major assaults on
the No. German target, but fell six
short Of the record 79 lost in the
RATS January 10 blow at Leipzig.
The wording of the British COM
munique-"last night the bomber
command dispatched over 1000 air
craft. Berlin was the main OBJ
jective"-did not make clear how
many of the total force struck at
Berlin itself.
In the revived German opposition,
after the beating EIitlers air forces
have taken in recent American day
light blows, was seen as indication
that the Germans are undertaking
last-ditch stand for the preserva-
ton of what remains of their capital
A comprehensive Raj report on
Berlin damage only few days ago
Indicated that while the once-great
city has suffered extensive damage
there still remain number of major
objectives to be wrecked.
An official statement said that of
eight great Berlin industrial plants
on the Ministry of Economic War
fares priority list, five have been
damaged extensively.
The remaining major targets basi-
cally are precision-bombing task,
the forte of the American daylight
fleet. Flying Fortresses and Liberia
tors have bitten we'll into the re-
naming industries, and last nights
heavy blow indicated that the final
drive against the capital will proceed
at pace far overshadowing previous
attacks.
The. attacks followed daylight
blows by United States heavy bomb
ers against Frankfurt and Schwein-
furt and the French airfields of
Nancy and st. Dizier in the 18th
mission of the 9th Air Force in
March, breaking the record of 18
operations for a month, established
In February.
Berlin was attacked by daylight
Wednesday by great American ar
mada of up to 750 Fortresses and
Liberators, escorted by around 1000
long range fighters. Hundreds of
fires were left burning.
The last big attack in the night
battle of Berlin took place February
15-a 2,500-ton assault, the biggest
single air attack of the war up to
that time.
About 500 pombers and 500 fight
ers, including RAF Mustangs, took
part in yesterdays daylight raids
and encountered little opposition.