Evening star., 1945-01-07
British Night Raiders
Follow Up Americans
Hammering Of Reich
Yonks Drop 5000 Tons oi
Bombs on Rhine Bridges,
Transport Bottlenecks
BY the Associated Press,

LONDON, Jan. GA large fleet
Of Raj bombers, following up the
United States 9Th Air Forces 14th
daylight raid on German trans
port and communications, poured
explosives tonight on Hanau, an
important rail and industrial
center 10 miles east of Frankfurt.
The ofncial announcement said
Hanau was the main objective" !"
indicating the Raj was making it
another night Of multiple raids.
The bombs dropped tonight
brought the total tonnage dis
charged by the Raj in the last six
days to about 1900. the Air Min
istry announced.
The American sky armada today
dropped 5000 tons of explosives on
three Rhine River bridges and 9TH
er transport bottlenecks.
More than 100 German supply
arteries along the Western Front
have been attacked by American
ayers carrying out the daytime
phase Of the current around-th the
clock ASSAULT
Berlin Raided.
4 On the heels Of i lnsssivk 5000
ton RAJ attack Friday night on
Hanover. Berlin and German POSI-
tions IN the Belgian bulge, the 9Th
Air Force today sent out more than
800 Flying Fortresses and Libera-
tors with an escort Of nearly COZ
Mustangs.
The Americans struck through an
overcast without interference from
the German air force. Occasional
ly crews saw the ground through
patches Of cloud. They bombed two
highway bridges and a railroad span
by using magic eye" radio finder
A late recapitulation of recent
bombing results showed that one
railway and two highway bridges
between Cologne and Bonn, plus
freight yards and other communica-
tons centers elsewhere in Western
Germany, were added to the A
freight yards. IA bridges and s.
highway and rail functions which
were blasted through yesterday-all
OF them within an area the size of
the State Of Maryland and directly
behind the Nazis' offensive front.
Opposition Is Slight.
A few German fighters were
sighted during today's raids, bu,
none attempted to break into the
bomber formations. Escorting Mus
tangs ranged over a wide area and
straffed "a locomotives and many
freight cars.
A few German jet-planes ma.
neuvered in the distance at one
time, but never attempted to en-.
gage the American airmen.
A Mustang fighter group acci.
dentally spotted AN uncharted
camoufaged enemy airfield in q
strafing sweep between Stuttgart
and Wurzburg.
The Yanks went in for the kill
and Is planes-believed to be JU.
88s which have been harassins
American frontline positions IL
night divebombing attacks - wer,
destroyed.
Continent Planes Grounded.
While the 9th Air Force was out |,
strength, continent-based, tighten
and medium bombers Of the tactica
air forces which yesterday fiew 200,
sorties in direct support Of the Alliet
counterattack In Belgium were
grounded today by poor weather. .
An Interpretation Of aerial photo
graphs showed that bombs dropped
during the 9Th Air Forces mission
yesterday cut railroad tracks ans
damaged two road-over- bridge.
in Frankfurt. Other pictures showed
bombs exploding in a number O
freight yards elsewhere in the Reich
Tracks were torn up and rollinl
stock was damaged at Neunkirchen
Pirmasens, Neustadt, Kirn, Sobern
helm and Kaiserslautern. All thes,
points are behind the Saar front.
Ten heavy bombers and foul
fighters are missing from the 1,O0l
bombers and 500 escorting fighter;
which carried out yesterdays day,
light assault, an American CON
munique said.
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