MAGDEBURG DISCOVERY

Evening Star, Issue 25462, 18 April 1945, Page 5

MAGDEBURG DISCOVERY

HUGE JET-PLANE FACTORY

LONDON April 17.. A tremendous jet-plane factory 900 ft underground, with a planned production of 700 jet fighters a month, has been uncovered by the Ninth Army near Magdeburg, says the Associated Press correspondent. The factory is in an active salt mine, with nothing indicate its presence. The plane being built in the factory was a singleehgined fighter, the HE 162, which, according to the factory director, had a speed of 600' miles an hour with one hour's fuel. Dozens were still on the assembly line in tunnels fitted with the latest machine tools and lathes. The director stated that the factory was producing more jet-planes than the GermansTiad pilots or Diesel oil to fly.

The Thirtieth Infantry Division has taken one of the war's richest prizes —an important testing range for German artillery six miles north of Magdeburg, with over 2,000 pieces of artillery. American artillerymen had never seen some of the types captured, and pieces of some of the giant guns were far larger than anything seen in action. British and American experts will require weeks to catalogue and examine the weapons.