LUFTWAFFE SUFFERS BIGGEST LOSS OF WAR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 2, 3 January 1945, Page 6

LUFTWAFFE SUFFERS BIGGEST LOSS OF WAR

364 PLANES DOWN

One Day's Score For Allied Fighters And Defences N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 2.30 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 2. It is now estimated at Supreme Headquarters that the Luftwaffe lost 364 planes to Allied fighters and ground defences during yesterday's large-scale operations over the Western Front. This is the greatest loss the Luftwaffe has suffered in one day since the outbreak of war. Allied fighters destroyed 155 planes and the ground defences 209. Apart from the planes which raided R.A.F. aerodromes about 600 were observed over the American sector. It is estimated that the Luftwaffe sent up 900 planes in attacks over the Western Front. Bomber Command to-night dispatched more than 1000 aircraft to attack the industrial railway centre of Nuremburg and the I. G. Farven Industrie chemical works (the largest in the world) at Ludwigshaven. An attack was also made on targets in Berlin. Germans Correct Estimate To-day's German communique claims that 479 enemy planes were destroyed yesterday, comprising 300 destroyed on the ground, another 100 heavily damaged and 79 probably destroyed in combat. The German news agency later corrected its official estimate of Allied losses and claimed that the Allies lost a total of 579 planes. ' A total of 188 German' fighter planes was destroyed over R.A.F. airfields on the Western Front yesterday in what is officially described as the Luftwaffe's biggest and most concentrated effort since D day to neutralise Allied air supremacy, says an announcement from Supreme Headquarters. '*In addition, five enemy planes were shot down after dark.

Allied losses, excluding heavy bombers, totalled 25. R.A.F. Bomber Command planes were over Germany last night. Objectives included the marshalling yards at Vohwinkel and a benzol plant. Over 1000 Flying Fortresses and Liberators attacked three marshalling yards, five road and 'rail junctions, six bridges and also troop concentrations on Tuesday, , states United States Headquarters. The bombers were escorted by over 650 Mustangs and Thunderbolts. Railway Yards Attacked

The railway yards attacked were at Gerolsteiri, east of Prum, Badreunach, South Bingen and Fhrange, near Trier, on.the German-Luxem-burg border. Five communications targets located'in the area east of the German bulge were ..at Prum, Kyllburg, Kdaun Bitburg and Mayen. Most of the bridges were in the Coblenz area. Troops and tanks were attacked .north-west of Saarlauterh, in the Saar Basin, within ten miles of the front line. In clear weather Mosquitoes of the R.A.F. Second Tactical Air Force made concentrated harassing attacks during Monday night on enemy movements in the areas of Zulpich, Maven and Clervaux and points along the bomb line to the east of von Rundstedt's salient. Particular attention was paid to troops concentrations in the forests and woods. The night's-bag totalled over 90 motor vehicles, some of which were set on fire. - Strikes were also ; observed by cannon and machine-gun fire on 15 tanks and 50 goods trucks. Five railways were cut and four direct hits made on roads.