Evening star., 1944-04-30
War Review :
Record Raids Soften
Nazis for D.Dav
By Howard p. Bailey.

her already shattered industry al
defense and transportation system
Yesterday completed two week
of unbroken raiding during whicl
time more than 10000 tons of bomb
were dropped, the last three day
seeing explosives hurtling down Oh
Germany and occupied areas at tn
rate of 615 tons per minute.
The increasing tempo of the raid
and German statements after aeria
observation over British ports tina
tremendous numbers of ships are il
the harbors considered probabl
jumping-of places for an invasion
have sent rumors like wildfire owe
Europe that D-Day is about a
hand.
In Madrid, for instance, the warn
ing was issued to Germany that i
the invasion did not start at 4:4
am. Saturday, the Nazis should bt
ready at 4:39 am. today. To th1.
Berlin statement that Germany
was prepared to spring into actor
at moments notice seemed to give
answer
Denmark Is Isolated.
Preparing for an invasion which
might come at some other poin
than straight across the Channel
the Germans have isolated Denmark
and taken extra precautions agains
Danish saboteurS, who have beer
showing increased resistance to tht
Nazis. A quick and thorough survey
OF defenses in Norway has also just
been completed.
Swedish observers declare that
Germany has available a force OF
about 40 divisions to resist invasion
while opposed to them will be ap-
proximately 100000, of both the
British and the American army.
There has been some speculation
over the tremendous decline in
hghter resistance to the Allied all
attacks during the past few days
some observers expressing the
opinion that Hitler is now forced to
husband his remaining air strength
to resist the invasion when it
comes.
The air attack on the Nazis from
ooth British and Italian bases has
become so integrated it is no longer
possible to analyze them as separate
campaigns.
Two-Way Attacks.
On Monday, a two-Wav blow bv
1000 bombers and fighters from
British bases and 1000 from Italian
fields struck simultaneously at Ger
man aircraft plants and at Ploesti
and Bucharest in Romania. HEAVY
as THESE combined forces were and
as hungry as they proved to be for
l00-octane gasoline their combined
consumption fell far short of the
100000 barrels being produced daily
In this country according to Secre-
tary 81 the Interior Ickes who stated
that the present output could keen
10,000 planes in the air daily.
The raids on Germany struck at
aircraft factories located in often
bombed Friedrichshafen and at air.
dromes near Munich. The Balkan
attack centered on the railroad
yards in the Ploesti oil fields. leav-
ing the field undamaged perhaps
because the Allies hope soon to
nave access to its petroleum. An
aircraft factory near Belgrade in
Yugoslavia also was attacked.
Monday night the RAF blasted
Munich and Karlsruhe and Tues
day the AEF centered on three
main airfields in France, at Dion
Metz and Nancy.
Losses 181 to 50.
Plane losses for MONDAYS activi-
Ties were set at 181 for the Nazis
and SO for the Allies.
Tuesday night the British bombed
Cologne and Wednesday the Amer
leans came back for a shatterinp
attack on Brunswick, important
aircraft manufacturing center. This
raid was carried on in a heavy
overcast, the bombers depending
upon instruments for their guild
ance. Not a bomber was lost during
the raid, contrasted to the loss of 60
IN a raid on January II on the same
objective, which is about 100 miles
from Berlin.
Smaller raids spread confusion
among the transportation facilities
behind the Atlantic wall lust as
other raids on Northern Italy and
In the Balkans crippled rail lines
in those areas.
Wednesday night the Raj hit at
what is left of the balIbearinp
works In Schweinfurt and Essen and
the rail yards in Paris were also
attacked.
British Coast Raided.
Thursday morning the Americans
came right back with a 2O0O-plane
daylight attack on numerous OBJ
lectlves in the invasion area of both
france and Belgium, railroad Yards
being the principal targets. Other
raiders, hitting Southern Germany.
are presumed to have come from the
mediterranean command. Thurs
Gay night the British dropped $500
tons OF bombs on Friedrichshafen
and on rail yards in Belgium and
France, to be followed Friday bv
heavy American attacks on airfelds
in France.
Friday night, presumably satisfied
With the damage done to aircraft
factories in Germany, the RAF flew
l,500-mile round trip to blast a
plane plant northeast of Oslo. in
Norway. all planes returning safely,
Hamburg, or its rubble, was bombed
by Mosquitoes, all of which came
back.
Also during Friday night was a
series Of raids on Genoa and other
Italian harbors.
Berlin was hit yesterday bv 1000
American bomberS and fighters.
German planes in small number
made raids all week on the British
coast seeking information.
Fighting on the Italian front fol-
lowed the pattern of recent weeks
with considerable probing, but no
important action and little change
In position.
Russians Prepare Drive.
On the Russian front there were
evidences of Russian preparation
Tor powerful drive into Romania
while the manning I'm of tho Cavoe