Evening star., 1944-05-03
.Liberators Blast
French Coast
For Fourth Day
Raid Follows Heavy
RAF Night Attack on
Nozi Chemical Center

Raj Night Attack on
Nozi Chemical Center
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, May s. American
Liberators bombed the Pas-de-
Calais area of France for the
fourth consecutive day today
after RAF Mosquitoes made a 30
minute attack on the German
chemical center of Leverkusen
last night and Italy based bomb
ers blasted Genoa and communi-
cations centers in Northern
Italy.
Today's hammering of Nazi in
stallations blocking the shortest
invasion route to the continent car
ried the mighty -directional air
offensive through the 10Th consecu-
tive day.
The 400-mile-an-hour Mosquitoes
dropped many 4,000-pound block
busters on Leverkusen, which lies
just north Of Cologne and is the
home of one of the largest chemical
works in Europe, employing 10000
workers.
The Acheres railway yards in
France also were hit by Mosquitoes
as British heavy bombers remained
idle for the first time in seven
nights.
Piacenza Also Bombed.
Besides Genoa, second only to
Marseille. as an important Medi-
terranean port, the southern arm OF
the Allied Air Force also struck at
Piacenza, Milan, Livorns and La
Speza, in an extension of the wide
spread assaults made yesterday.
Six Allied planes were missing
from 1900 sorties flown during the
day and night in the steadily rising
offensive the Mediterranean All
Force Is waging. One enemy plane
was destroyed.
A Ministry of Economic Warfare
spokesman said today that rail tar
gets in Western Europe have been
bombed so effectively for the last
two months that the lines in North
ern France and Belgium no longer
are capable of bearing the peak
load necessary for the Germans to
|repel invasion.
He said no freight between Co.
logne and the Bay of Biscay in a
zone 100 miles deep was capable of
forming trains and that only mill
tary and coal traffic could be ham
died. He said 14-year-old boys,
women and one-armed former SOL
diers were being used by the Ger
mans to run the trains.
Others Penetrate to Munich.
While the Mosquitoes visited Ger
many last night for the first time
this month, Allied Intruders swept
over the continent as far as Munich
and shot down five German planes
Four of them were downed by one
Canadian Mosquito crew, setting g
record for this type of night opera
| ton.
An Air Ministry communique said
mines also were strewn in enemy
waters and that no Allied planes
were missing.
The Acheres railyard, near Paris
was last hit by Raj heavies on April
80 in the campaign to knock out
railroads supplying the enemy's
anti-invasion forces.
Halifaxes and Wellingtons carried
out the attacks on Genoa, which
now has been bombed five nights ir
row, and also hit Piacenza, which
links the main road from Turir
across Northern Italy to Venice with
road from Milan to the east coast
La Spezia, the North Italian nava
base, also was bombed yesterday fol
the fourth time in as many days.
Widespread Assaults.
The raid of La Spezia-made b,
American Liberators-came as par
of the widespread assaults in which
rail yards In Northern Italy were
attacked
Italian based Marauders for thu
second straight day bombed raj
yards in the Greater Florence area
The rail centers on which thu
Liberators concentrated their bomb.
yesterday included Castelmaggiort
and Faenza, in the Bologne area
Parma, so miles northwest of Bologna
on the route toward Milan, and Fano
on the east coast line between An.
coma and Bimini. Piacenza, hit a
night, Is 40 miles southeast of Milan
| Mosquito pilots back from the
Leverkusen raid said all the town.
defenses opened up as the bomber.
swept up over in clear weather.
Only Two Planes Lost.
United States headquarters an
nounced that in widespread oper
ations yesterday by medium, ligh
and fighter -bombers and fighter
against panorama of rail junction.
and alrflelds in France, Belgium anc
Holland, only one fighter and on,
fghter bomber were lost.
From dawn to dusk yesterday ex.
plosives were loosed at a 2-ton- per
minute clip on invasion coast de-
fenses and rail feeder lines by Alliee
bombers of virtually all types. Tht
sky filling forays went almost un
challenged by the Germans.
Although an official estimate wa
not available, it appeared that tn,
Tuesday attacks approximated thost
of preceding days when sorties to-
tailed around 1000 or 5000 daily
raising to possibly 1000 the boml
tonnage for Mays opening 36 hours
Allied Air Forces based in Britain
and the Mediterranean area drop
ped nearly 100000 tons of bombs OF
German-held Europe in April dur,
(see RAIDS, Page A-3J
}