VERY HEAVY LOSS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 147, 1 April 1944, Page 4

VERY HEAVY LOSS.

THE RAID ON NUREMBERG.

THE ALLIED BOMBERS DOWN.

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 2.50 p.m.) LONDON. Mar. 31. The loss of 94 bombers last night was the heaviest the R.A.F. has experienced in the operations of a single night. Previously the most costly raid was on the night of February 19. when 79 bombers were lost in the 1000-bomber attack on Leipzig. A German communique claims that 132 bombers were destroyed over Nuremburg last night. The aviation correspondent of the “Evening Standard” says that the loss of 94 planes last night is heavy, even though the total force was probably 1000 planes; but although the operations of the Bomber Command during March already total more than any previous month —2S in 30 nights—the losses last night do not bring the total for March over that of some other months. In March we lost 253 night bombers. The loss in January, when only 19 operations were carried out, was 307. We lost 294 in 20 operations last August and May. and 270 in 13 operations last June.