Evening star., 1944-04-24
Units From Britain
And ItoIy Join
In Two-Woy Blow
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 24.-In a two
way blow, an American sky force
approaching 1000 heavy bombers
and fighters from Britain smash
ed German plane plants today,
while an armada of about 1000
more struck from Italy at Bu-
charest and Ploesti, Romania.
In perhaps the heaviest CO.
ordinated attack of the war Britain
based heavy bombers struck plane
plants and other factories at
Friedrichshafen and airdromes near
Munich as a formation of perhaps
500 Liberators and Fortresses and
as many protecting fighters roared
out of Italy and attacked Balkan
objectives.
Crewmen said they had "con-
siderable success" in their attack
on the main rail yards at Bucharest
in good weather. The attack on rail
yards at the oil center of Ploesti
highly important to Hitler's war
machine, was made by big forma-
tions of Fortresses.
YugosIav Plant Attacked.
Other Fortresses bombed the Bel
grade -Ikarus aircraft factory in
Yugoslavia. Early reports said a
number of enemy interceptors were
destroyed by the Italy-based bomb
ers and their escorts.
The resounding two-way offensive
was carried out on the 10th straight
day of American heavy bomber
operations.
The assault on German objectives
was carried out in good weather
which, while aiding bombardiers to
lay their explosives on the targets
gave the Germans better chance
to challenge these latest blows in
the history making campaign to
drive the German Air Force from
the sky.
The German radio said the Amer
ican bombers and fighters were en-
gagged by Nazi defenders even before
they crossed the border and fierce
battles were fought over Southern
Germany. Early official American
reports did not mention today's
losses in the greatest aerial offensive
of all time.
Strong Fighter Escort.
The Berlin broadcast said ITALY,
based bombers had penetrated Ro-
mania and declared they were met
by German and Romanian planes
over Serbia and Romania.
Very strong forces" of American
Mustangs, Lightnings and Thunder
bolts of the 9th and 9th Air Forces,
as well as Raj Mustangs, guarded
the heavy bombers from Britain, an
American announcement said.
AS the campaign by heavy bombers
swung into its 10th straight day
Marauder mediums of the 9th Unit
ed States Air Force struck twice
across the Channel at targets in
France and Belgium.
Planes Shuttle Over Channel.
Other planes of various types
shuttled across the Channel in the
morning and afternoon attacking
anti-invasion installations. These
raids followed Raj night smashes in
Belgium and Western Germany.
The Vichy radio said Lille, rail-
road center in Northern France
was being evacuated. The railroad
yards have been hit frequently ano
hard of late, and the city's air.
fields were among targets of Amer.
ican fighter -bombers yesterday.
A-20 light bombers, which recent.
ly joined the Marauder forces, took
part in several of the record break.
ing American Expeditionary All
Force operations. .
An Air Ministry communique sale
British heavy bombers had pounded
an important signal equipment de-
pot at Vilvorde, six miles east o.
Brussels, during the night while
speedy plywood Mosquitoes lashed a
the German industrial center Of
Mannheim.
Six planes were listed as missing
from the overnight operations
which also included mine-laying il
enemy waters.
Mosquitoes Strike Quick Blow.
1t was the eighth time since th'
first of the month that the British
heavy bombers had been over tn,
Continent at night. The raids ap
parently were not carried out in tn,
force, however, of the recent smash
ing 1.000-plane assaults
The Vilvorde depot lies between
the Brussels -Malines railroad anc
the River Seine about six mile
northeast of Brussels.
The German Air Force had storet
a large amount of signal equipmen
there for its squadrons in Belgium
and Northern France.
Mannheim, target for six majo
RAF attacks as we'll as severa
American daylight raids, was hi
three times in April by Mosquitoes
On the night of April Mosquito
dropped Is 4,00o-pounders and man,
other bombs on the town in a 10
minute attack.
Last nights blow was one of tn
swiftest ever struck by the fast, all
wooden bombers. 1t took only thre
minutes. 1--WE simply didn't Civ
the defenses a chance" said on
pilot.
10000 Tons Of Bombs Dropped.
Allied aerial explosives, haule,
both from Britain and Italy. burs
far and wide over Germany an,
occupied territory in a week end O
steady raids executed by thousand
Of bombers and fighters of all types
Well over 10000 tons of bomb
were dropped on German aircraft
railroad and armament centerS dur
ing the period from Saturday after
noon through yesterday, Gaping
week of record-shattering raids. L
the weekend period:
l. Some 1000 American heav
bombers and fighters attacked tn
German rail center at Hamm a
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