Evening star., 1945-03-26
u. ). Bombers Blast
German Oil Plants
And War Factories
Ry the Associated Press.

Ry the Associated Press
LONDON. Mar. 26.-Two oil
plants, a gun factory and an
armored car works in Southeast
ern Germany were attacked to-
day by 800 escorted American
bombers as the airmen switched
back to strategic targets after a
week-long bombing prelude for
the Rhine offensive.
The small force of heavy bombers
split into two task forces over Leip-
zig. One went for synthetic oil
plant and natural oil refinery at
Zeltz, 20 miles south of Leipzig,
while the other few to Plauen, 10
/ miles from the Czechoslovak border,
and blasted the twin war factories.
The attack was the 41st heavy
bomber assault on Germany in AZ
days and was part of another two
way blow co-ordinated with the
United States 18th Air Force in
Italy. Bombers from Italy ham,
mered communications in Austria,
the German radio reported.
Underground Factories Hunted.
The Germans also indicated that
Russian bombers attacked Berlin.
The American bombers yesterday
launched what may be one of their
toughest aSSlgnments-hun out
and blasting German underground
factories and WareholSps
Last night Mosquitoes attacked
Berlin for the Bath consecutive night
and American night raiders joined
in hammering German targets. The
night attacks followed yesterdays
pulveriZing of German strongpoints
and reinforcement centers in front
of Field Marshal Montgomery's drive
into the Ruhr by thousands of
Allied planes.
The kickoff on the campaign
against hidden underground objec-
| tives was made Yesterday by force
of $50 British-based Liberators
which attacked three buried oil stor-
age dumps between Hamburg and
Brunswick
5000 Sorties Flown.
A large number of synthetic oil
refineries are located in this region
and their production was believed to
have gone into reserve depots for
Field Marshal Albert Kesselrings
armies.
Altogether 5000 sorties were flown
yesterday, with the Liberators re-
porting good results against the
underground oil targets at Ehmen,
Buchen and Hitzacker and with 300
Raj heavy planes smashing at
freight yards at Hanover, Osna-
brueck and MuenSter.
Approximately 5000 German We
hicles of all types from tanks to
wagons were destroyed by the tacti-
cal air forces over Rhine bridge
heads.
The German Air Force put up
little more than token resistance
Nineteen German planes were
Knocked down and IA more were
destroyed on the ground. bringing to
100 the number destroyed in the last
three days.
Allied losses were 10 heavy bomb |
erS-Six of them Americana me-
dunn bomber and 20 fighters.
The Mediterranean Allied Air
Force, carrying out $500 sorties yes
terday, set new low in losses. Be-
tween 500 and $50 heavy bombers |
making saturation raids on four
airfields in Czechoslovakia and Aus
tria lost two of their number. |
Thousands of augmentation bombs
were shoWered on fields which the
Germans had used to oppose the
Russian advance. and caught a
large number of German planes on
the ground. One formation of !
Mustangs caught six fighters just as
they were taking off and shot all of
them down.
A tank factory near Prague also
was we'll covered with bombs by Lib
orators.
Mitchell bridge busters smashed
several more spans throughout the
Brenner Area