The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-05-08

of industries of any city on the
continent.
The Raj pressed its night Of
fenSive from both British and
Italian bases, with the northern
admada attacking at least six tar
gets in France and the chemical
center of Leverkusen in Germany
and the southern formations raid
ing Bucharest, capital of Romania.
Up to 500 heavy bombers from
British bases tumbled block busters
and fire bombs on airfield buildings
at ammunition dumps near Rennes,
at the base of the Brittany penin-
sula: airfeld buildings at Nantes,
at the mouth of the Loire river;
airfield buildings at tours, 100 miles
east Of Nantes; an ammunition
dpmp at Salbris, go miles farter
east. and military targets along the
Normandy coast.
Concentrated Attacks
First reports indicate all at
tacks were we'll concentrated" the
air ministry announced. An at
tack also was made on Leverkusen,
north of Cologne, and mines were
laid in enemy waters. Nine OF our
aircraft are missing"
Striking from Italian bases, Raj
Halifaxes, Liberators and yelling
tons concentrated on railway yards
at Bucharest. which still were blaz-
ing from some 1900 tons of bombs
dropped on them in daylight yester-
day by nearly 500 American Flying
Fortresses and Liberators.
The night raiders also hit fac
tories and other targets in their
second straight night Of attacks on
the Romanian capital.
Twenty German planes were shot
down Sunday by the American
bombers and their escorts, while
elsewhere in the Mediterranean the
alter, 10 other enemy aircraft were
destroyed. Two American heavy
bombers and IL other Allied planes
were lost.
The intensification of Allied raids
on Romania from Italian bases was
interpreted as a softening-up oper-
alton designed to pave the way for
Soviet offensive, just as those
against France were in support OF
Anglo American troops preparing to
invade western Europe.
French Announcement
One indication of the success
achieved in the west was a Paris
radio announcement that French
railways would curtail or suspend
all passenger service after May Is.
Railway functions, lines and freight
yards have been among the chief
targets since the nonstop aerial
offensive began in the west April
IT.
German planes were over the south
coast Of England, presumably in an
attempt to spy out invasion prepar-
ations, but caused neither damage
nor casualties.
Spearheading yesterdays intens-
i've daylight assault, nearly 1000
American Flying Fortresses and Lib
orators, with an equal number OF
escorting fighters, dropped more
than 1000 tons of block busters and
fire bombs on Berlin in what a
Stockholm dispatch said was prob
ably the most devastating daylight
raid yet made on the German
capital.
The Stockholm newspaper Nor
gontidningen reported from Bern
that thousands" were killed in the
attack. Fires broke out in many
sections of the city, especially IN
the western area, the dispatch said.
Magic Eye"
The bomber attacked with the AID
of magic eye devices through a
10, 600 foot layer OF clouds that kept
most German fighters gorunded'
However, heavy anti-aireraft IRE
was encountered. Eight bombers
and five fighters We're lost.
Almost simultaneously the British
air ministry disclosed that Amerl-
can and Raj bombers In March
damaged severely u war factories IN
the Berlin area, including two OF
the clty's eight priority one-plns"
targets. the siemenstadt electrical
apparatus factory, largest In Ger
many, and the Aeg Gable Works,
also the largest IN Germany,
Allied bombers hit AZ Least - tar
gets IN France and Belgium yesieFs
day at the rate OF one Rn hour, ule
most intense schedule yet crowded
into q daylight offensive.
Ten Targets
Ten OF the targets were railway
functions, al Of them supplying and
reinforcing GeFmany'S Atlantic WAL
along the channel coast, another
vas az aiFheld ard still another AZ
unidentified factory, Some $50 LlDs
orators rounded out the day with al
attack on unidentified targets ~
Belgium just before dusk.
IN the Mediterranean healer
American Flying F0rlreAseS aha
gAbefators from Italian bases gave
Bucharest. capital Of Itolnanla. ~
second pounding ~ ~ hours yessers
day, Concentrating ON railway yards.
Many fires ana explosions Here OBJ
served. RAP LfbeFat0rs and HALF
faxes attacked = factory area ~
southwest Bucharest, site q oae q