U.S.A. BOMBER LOSSES

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 October 1943, Page 5

U.S.A. BOMBER LOSSES

MR. ROOSEVELT’S COMMENT

FACTORY DAMAGE HEAVY RUGBY. October 15. Mr. Roosevelt stated, to-day, that while the loss of 60 American bombers in the- Schweinfurt- raid was serious, it was balanced by the fact that the bombers put out of commission a very large German war plant or plants, says a Washington message. He added: “We cannot afford the loss of 60 planes daily, but losses are not running that high.” The destruction of a considerable part of Germany’s important ball and roller bearing industry at Schweinfurt was announced to-day by the United States Army Eighth Air Force Bomber Command Headquarters, following a study of photographs made during the bombing. Referring to the fact that 60 bombers are missing from the Scheinfurt attack Brigadier-General Anderson said: “We expected losses to be heavy, and they were, but the damage done to'thb enemy .was much greater. The weather over the target was excellent and bombs were concentrated upon vital points in the area. A conservative early estimate of the damage indicates the destruction of at least 50 per cent oi Schweinfurt’s ball and roller bearing production. Schweinfurt had accounted for more than half of all Germany’s bearings, vital for every moving part of every piece 01. military and naval equipment. The results of this attack eventually will be apparent in a shortage of German tanks, planes, guns, and armoured vehicles on the Russian, Mediterranean and western fronts, and in the slowing down of submarine construction.” Indicative of the importance attached bv the Germans to the bearing plants was the desperate resistance put up to the attack, or to protect the vital industry. . MARIENB&RG DAMAGE.

LONDON, October 15. The huge Focke Wulf assembly plant at Marienburg and a component factory at Anklam have both been knocked out. That is the conclusion of the United btates Air Foice Bth Bomber Command Headquarters, after studying damage assessment reports based on reconnaissance photographs. Reports list- 12 major and 17 minor buildings damaged during the raid last Saturday on the Marienburg plant and the component factory at Anklam had three-quai-ters of the key machinery and subassembly shops, stores, and offices destroyed and other buildings heavily damaged. The Marienburg plant was responsible for almost halt the entire assembly of Focke Wulfs. U.S.A. SUPER-BOMBER.

WASHINGTON, October 14. A new American super-bomber, hauling more explosives a Vastly greater range than any existing aeroplane, is now in actual production and an unspecified number have been delivered to the Army in the last feu weeks This new dreadnought ol the sky dwarfs both the Liberator and the Flying Fortress and is reckoned capable of bringing Hitler’s innermost production centres and the Japanese Empire within the sights ol the United States bombardiers. The Army weekly magazine "Yank” says: - “The new supe>-Fort-ress 829 will have a greater bomb capacity and longer range than any existing bomber.” Officials do not expect to see the new aeroplane in combat before 1944. presumably because of the time required to attain lull-scale pioduc lion and to train crews. FIGHTER COMMAND. RUGBY, October 15. Air Commodore C. B. S. Spademan has been appointed Officer in Charge of Administration, Fighter Command, with acting rank oi Au Vice-Marshal. His service career began as a private in the Norfolk Regiment in 1914.