Evening star., 1944-07-23
Hii|er's Oil Fields
And Plants Blasted in
Record Week 5 Raids
as; the Associated Press,

3
ny the Associated Press.
sLONDON, July 22.--Approximate-
lN $50 heavy bon,bers Of the United
States 18th Air Force smashed at
Rnsnania's Ploesti oil fields today,
bringing to more than 1000 the
total Of Fortresses and Liberators
which have struck within six-day
period at Hitler's war plants and
resources.
Even without counting the .Ploesti
bombing, an air force spokesman
described the Sunday through
Friday onslaught rs "the, heaviest
blows In a single week In the his
tory of the United States strategic
air force in Europe" -
More than 100 targets in Germany
alone were hit by 6,43l heavies and
S,043, fighters from Britain and
italy. which dropped more than 16,-
00D tons Of bombs. Today's Ploesti
raid probably will raise the bomb
weight, total to $4,000 tons.
Dense Flax Encountered.
Battering through dense max and
numerous enemy fighters, the Medi-
terranean-based bombers carried out
the eleventh raid on the Ploesti
area. Escorted by Mustangs and
Lightnings and using instruments
to penetrate. heavy smokescreen,
they struck their blow 4 few hours
after a night attack by other Medi-
terranean-based planes of Parbu-
dice, site of two of the largest oil
refineries in Czechoslovakia.
Berlin itself was battered again
Friday night by blockbuster bombs
dropped by Mosquitos-their twelfth
raid since D-Day on the Nazi capi-
tai. =.
Miserable flying weather over the
Channel apparently had grounded
most OF the British-based heavy
bombers during the day, as rain
begged both air and ground opera
tions on the battlefront and threat
ened to halt the massive blows from
the west. However, by midafter-
noon the weather cleared enough for
RAF planes to strike again at robot
installations in North France.
Previous Record Exceeded.
Figures for the last six days ex-
ceeded the record Of the previous
greatest week, February 20 to rs,
when 1926 heavies and 4,796 fighters
smashed Germany's fighter plane
industry so badly it never caught up
with the losses.
Since last Sunday at least II air.
craft factories, eight airfields, four
ball-bearing plants. three railyards,
two synthetic oil plants, two flying
bomb experimental laboratories and
many other targets of opportunity
were struck. The loss for the
Americans in the period was 226
planes. Fighter pilots and bomber
gunners downed 277 Germans.
The blasting of Peenemunde on
the Baltic coast, flying bomb expert
mental laboratory and production
center. curtailed the production of
fuel used by the robots and of the
robots themselves and will decrease
the number of the weapons that can
be hurled against England, the air
spokesman said.
Nazi Convoy Attacked.
"We can't rest at any time in at
tempting to hold the German air
force at its present state" he added.
Today's aerial operations from
Britain included an RAF Beaufight-
er attack on a NaN convoy of 40
vessels of Helgoland. Most of the
ships were. hit, four merchantmen
by torpedoes. Two merchant ships
were left in sinking condition and
five escort vessels were left ablaze,
an Air Ministry communique said.
The German high command admit
ted three ships were lost. 1t said
five British planes were downed and
two British E-boats cooperating
in the attack were damaged
Yesterdays heavy blows at Mu-
nich and Schweinfurt showed good
results. an 9th Air Force spokesman
said. At Schweinfurt's much-blast-
ed ball-bearing industry, nearly ev-
cry building In the plant area dam
aged, and at Munich the bombers
placed explosives on the largest
highway bridge across the Isar
River. on an oil storage plant and
on the city gas works, among other.
targets.
We must sacrifice our comforts
to their needs; yes. and even our
needs for their comforts.