Evening star., 1944-04-29
Assaults Follow
RAF Blow at Nuzi
Plant in Norway
BY the Associated Press.

sand erican Warplanes
smashed at Berlin today with
probably the greatest daylight
attack in history. Bombers
flying from Italy at the same
time hit the port and submarine
pens of Toulon, France, to cap
the 18th day of the preinvasion
onslaught in which Allied air
craft have rained approximately
$4,000 tons of bursting and fam
ing steel on Hitler territory.
A force approaching 1000 heavy
bombers, escorted by at least as
many fighters, few from British
bases to Berlin. The German capital
was believed to have caught up to
$500 tons of bombs in the opera
ton, making it perhaps the wars
greatest daylight assault.
FortreSses and Liberators from
Italy "rained tons" of bombs on the
port installations in Southern
France, an oricial announcement
said. From $50 to 500 heavy bombers
were estimated to have taken part in
this attack.
Nai Fighters Cautious.
The first group of Fortress pilots
returning to Britain from Berlin
told OF some German fighter opposi-
tion, but said most of it in their case
was cautious and directed against
American stragglers. The sky over
Berlin was overcast but bombardiers
found holes in the clouds and saw
big fires as they left the city.
Some of the Berlin flyers set
record, going on their sixth heavy
bomber mission in six days.
Naples dispatches said crewmen
who returned from the attack on
Toulon said they encountered enemy
planes and destroyed several. They
told of large fires and explosions at
the French port, which suffered its
fifth attack from Mediterranean
based Allied planes. Through this
port pass supplies for German troops
in Italy.
Lightning and Mustang fighters
escorted the bombers. This indi-
Gated force totaling 500 to 1000
planes participated in the attack
Industrial and military targets"
were singled out for the daylight
assault which hit the capital city
about noon, the United States head
quarters announcement said.
Air Base Near Oslo Blasted.
The Berlin radio, whose own
operators were thrown into con-
fusion by the blow, acknowledged
serious damage" Residential quar-
ters were severely damaged and
fires were left raging, the broadcast
continued. 1t also told of fierce air
battles "all over Berlin"
The great air feet was the second
such armada the American COM
mand has sent into Europe's skies
this week. Munich and Friedrich
shafen were hit by similar force
Monday.
Today's assault was the second
long-range blow at Hitler's air force
in little more than IL hours. Last
night a small fleet of RAF Lam
casters thundered a similar dis
tance-more than 1900 miles
across the North Sea and hit a
major German air base repair depot
at KELLER, II miles outside Oslo.
The Berlin radio said that other
fleets of American bombers were
over Northwest and Southwest Ger
many today and claimed they were
met by strong forces" of German
fighters.
Targets in France Attacked,
Fleets of American Thunderbolt
hghter-bombers escorted by Thun-
deroolt fighters hammered an un-
speclfled German air base in North
ern France today, United States
headquarters announced.
British Typhoons also carried out
sweeps oyer the continent during
the day, Shooting down one German
plane near Tours.
Germanys capital was last raided
by American sky fleets on April l8
when large formations OF heavy
bomberS and fighters hit the CITY.
downing at least "a German planes
and destroying some q others on
the ground to the loss of l9 bomb
ers and fighters.
Raj Mosquitoes ran a diversionary
feint to the battered North Sea port
OF Hamburg last night, while the
Lancaster formations, in a sudden
shlft OF blows on Nazi air strength,
struck the KELLER airframe factory
II miles northeast of Oslo in a l 500
mile round trip. All the planes re-
turned.
Bombing Well Concentrated.
The RAF said "the target was
clearly identified, and first reports
indicate the bombing was we'll con-
centrated."
The KELLER factory, repairing
German fighter and troop-carrying
planes, was bombed in daylight bv
American Liberators last November
IL IN the 9th Air Forces third and
last raid into Norway. At that time
the installation was described as
the NazlS' principal maintenance
and repair base in Norway.
Oslo itself last was attacked bv
the Raj in September, l942, when
four Mosquitoes staged daring dav-
hight raid on, Gestapo Headquarters
Three waves of Flying Fortresses
and Liberators, staging the first
trlple-header strike of the United
States 9th Air Force, hammered
French objectives yesterday during
a day of 1890 sorties from Britain
in the grinding campaign.
AVord Airdrome Blasted.
Yesterdays attacks cost the United
States Strategic Air Forces four
bomberS and three fighters, and
poured some 4,800 tons of bombs on
prime targets.
One wave Of Flying Fortresses.
some $50 strong, hammered the
Avord airdrome 100 miles south of
(see RAIDS Page AS