Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-03-27
1000 Tons Of
Bombs Better
Industrial City
By the Associated Press.

FORCES OF American L1DeratOrS
and Flying Fortresses blasted at
Nazi air dromes in Southwest
and Central France today, fol-
lowing up a night assault by
Raj bombers on Essen, home of
the Krupp works. The Raj
dropped 1000 tons of explosives
on Essen.
"A very strong escort" of fighters,
including Lightnings, Thunderbolts
and Mustangs, accompanied the
American bombers into France. The
terms indicated more than 500 big
bombers and perhaps TOO or more
fighters engaged in the strike at the
Nazi air bases.
1t was the 2lst American attack of
the month, three over the record set
in February.
Hanover Also Raided.
Along with the crushing assault
on rebuilt factories at Essen, smaller
forces of British bombers hammered
the rubber center of Hanover 125
miles to the northeast, and railway
targets at Courtrai in Belgium last
night. Probably more than $50 Raj
night bombers were out.
BY daylight yesterday about 1,700
American planes, including heavy
bombers, struck hard at targets in
the coastal areas of France and Hol-
land.
Other unspecified targets in West
ern Germany also were attacked
and mines were laid in enemy waters
during the sweeping overnight OPP
erations, which the Air Ministry
said cost total of planes.
Last Big Raid in July.
Clouds made full observation of
the results of the attack on Essen
impossible, the Air Ministry said
but it was apparent that the Raj
had dealt another concentrated
blow at the city in an effort to
wipe out the results of desperate
reconstruction work which the Ger
mans have been carrying on in this
vital industrial center.
Essen was last raided in force by
the Raj the night of July Is, 1943,
when more than 1000 tons of ex-
plosives were unloaded on the city
as the elimination OF a series of
terrific massed assaults.
The great summer assaults were
estimated. to have damaged nearly
two-thirds of the Krupps works,
knocking out at least six months of
production. But the Germans were
believed to have repaired about one
fifth of the area of some 10000 600
square feet of floor space that had
been damaged
Important Rail Center.
Hanover is the site of rubber
goods and synthetic rubber plants
and important rail yards, workshops,
locomotive, tank and aircraft parts
factories. The most important rail
center between Germany and the
low countries, American bombers
have hit it repeatedly.
The four engined craft returned
to Germany after an interval of
only one night since their last great
blow on the Reich-the 2,8O0-ton
blasting of Berlin Friday night, car
ried out at loss of 70 bombers.
The venture into occupied terri
tory was follow-up to the Satur-
day night heavy bomber assault on
Aulnoye. a French railway junction
on the Belgian border, and Lyon in
Southeastern France. Mosquitoes
gave Berlin light going over the
same night,
Enemy Targets Blasted.
American heavy and medium
bombers and fighters beat a rapid
tatto throughout yesterday on tar
gets near the coasts of France and
the Netherlands, and in one foray
Thunderbolts shot up airdromes
within sight of Paris without oppo-
sition.
Flying Fortresses and Liberators
loosed thunderous barrages of bombs
against the Pas-de-Calais area and
bombed military installations in the
Cherbourg area 200 miles to the
south. American Marauders hit the
Ijmuiden docks of Holland.
The American operations cost five
bombers and one fighter.