The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-03-16
700 Bo11lbers
Rock Zossen
Near Berlin
More Of Huge l1-Tonner.
Poured On German
Rail Viaduct

LONDON, March 15-O.D-Near
NM American bombers today blast
OIL Adolf Hitler's supreme head
NJ quarters at Zossen, 20 miles south
n Berlin. while Raj Lancasters
rounded d strategic rail viaduct
leading out of the Ruhr with their
huge new 11-ton bombs.
The two dramatic assaults high
lighted one of the wars most wide
snread air operations. Italy-based
n S, bombers hit five big oil re-
fneries. other Eighth Air Force
warnlanes hammered Oranienburg
north Of Berlin, British Halifaxes
attacked two benzol plants and
more than 1000 tactical planes
were in action over the Western
Front.
An estimated 1850 tons Of high
explosives and incendiaries were
loosed on Zossen, nerve center Of
tbe bard-pressed Wehrinacht. Re-
turning crewmen said the extern
sive headquarters area was blast
ed and buildings left in flames,
columns of smoke rising to a
height of $1,000 feet.
Hitler frequently confers with his
highest commanders at Zossen, but
there was no way Of knowing
whether he was present during the
American attack.
An Eighth Air Force spokesman
said the raid was aimed at para
lying the Wehrmacht by destroy
ing administration buildings, bar
racks, vital records, utilities, COM
munications and transportation
lines.
Part of the headquarters is
known to be deep underground. OBJ
servers believed the attack may
have been ordered by Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower after consultation
with the Russians.
One Fortress gunner, Sgt. Walter
Carney of Villa, Pa, who described
the headquarters as a group OF
buildings adjacent to a wooded
area said there was one great ex-
plosion as if an ammunition dump
had been hit.
Overshadowed by the spectacular
attack on Zossen were the attacks
by the ltaly-based 18th Air Force
bombers en- oil refineries in Ger
many, Austria and Czechosiovakla
which produce an estimated one
fourth of Germany's dwindling gas
cline supplies. and by other Eighth
fighters on key rail yards at Gran
ienburg, 20 miles north of the Ger
man capital.
0ranienburg lies astride one OF
the two main north-south railways
behind the Eastern Front and is a
vital traffic center for supplying
Nazi forces opposing the Russians
IN the Stettin sector. It is also one
Of the Reich's biggest military de-
pot cente.s. providing the Army
with ordnance, motor transport,
guns, ammunition and other equip
ment.
The Raj Lancasters attacked
ue rail viaduct at Arnsberg and
galn dropped the "earth-shakers'
which yesterday knocked out seven
central spans of the Bielefeld via
guct. That viaduct carries the only
uouole trunk rail line leading out
OF the Ruhr. 81
targets of the 18th Air Force
Operators and Fortresses from
!'sly Where the synthetic oil plant
a. "a. Nyhland, IS miles south of Ber-
S S Moosbierbaum, Floridsdorf and
Is.n"echat in the Vienna area of
oouSlfla, and Koln, IS miles east Of
Prague in Czechoslovakia.
m oome 200 Fortresses, escorted by
mustangs ,,ss, hit the Reich's biggest
~ ''4euc OIL plant at Tuhland IN
, t.T longest mission ever flown by
r,, o,, aircraft-a 1,40O-mile
~ trip requiring nine hours.
~ per cent Of Germany's total
gasoline spply.
tos. 10Th Air Force spokesman said
s StSsy that the German air force
b,t ' - was very strong numerically
pos s ~ could not give powerful OPP
Sb soaA to the Allied bomber fleets
wS doaSe of the gasoline shortage
NY crippled its perations, par
ae 1Ie First :; Tactical Air Force
flew eu,a 1 the training Of pilots.
Of tbo sumo IN 400 sorties in support
: Ipy De l. U. 5. Seventh Army, attack
Nlotb III me the saar Basin, and the
sortjes ar "A, flew more than 500
hind v = blasting supply dumps be-
hittinos German lines in the 5aar and
ply wing ne;.t communications and sup,
~ '''ats southeast of Trier. =