REPETITION OF U.S. RAIDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 10 March 1944, Page 5

REPETITION OF U.S. RAIDS

Fifth Daylight Attack in Week RUSSIA MAY JOIN IN OFFENSIVE

(Rec. 10.45 a.m.) London, March 9. American heavy bombers escorted by long-range American and British fighters, again attacked Berlin to-day. This was the fifth time within a week that United States planes have been over the German capital. Berlin radio said that American bombers, under cloud cover, terror-raided Berlin at midday and caused damage and casualties in residential quarters.

Neutral correspondents report that the repetition of the daylight attack against Berlin yesterday came as the greatest shock to Berliners who. owing to extreme claims of heavy United States losses on Monday, believed the enemy had received a lesson of such severity that further daylight attacks would be impossible. If fair weather coincides with the next moonless period then the Allied Air Force offensive will probably exceed anything previously seen. It is believed that the Russian Air Force may also shortly join in the offensive, which would link up with operations from Italy and Britain.

One correspondent expresses the opinion that yesterday's attack not only destroyed Berlin’s flats and streets, but last hopes in the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe and ground defences. A German High Command communique claimed that 140 American planes were shot down in Monday’s raid. Today’s communique claims 112 shot down in yesterday's raid. "LEADING TRUMPS” ‘The Americans are leading trumps, said an R.A.F. commentator, referring to the recent United States raids on Berlin. “Already there are great visible results and German losses of fighters will have great repercussions if the same tempo is kept for the next few months.” The Germans, he added, realised the position and would fight with all their power against this terrific onslaught. The Americans, he said, were using superior forces in the daylight raids and for the first time the Allies had been able to send heavy destructive forces to Germany escorted there and back by long-range fighters. This was a grave development for the Germans. The United States attacks formed the ideal complement to the R.A.F.’s heavy, concentrated night attacks. WEDNESDAY’S RAID Of the 125 German aircraft destroyed yesterday by the United States Strategic Air Forces in the Berlin raid, 42 were shot down by bombers and 83 by fighters. An American wing commander said: ‘‘When I looked back 100 miles from Berlin the tower of smoke rising from it had been carried by the wind till it looked like the Rocky # Mountains. The Headquarters of the United States Strategic Air Forces announced that the Erkner ball-bearing factory, situated in an eastern suburb of Berlin, was among the targets hit. These works are believed to have been making 90 per cent, of Germany’s ballbearing for tanks, aircraft, and other purposes since the destruction of Schweinfurt. A later report says that in the attack, the most concentrated ever made by the United States Air Force, enormous damage was done to the Erkner ' works.

Besides the VKF ball-bearing factory, where all the four main buildings t were hit. the Berliner Maschinebau factory, in the Waldau district, was damaged, three important buildings having been set on fire. This factory, which before the war specialised in locomotives, is believed to have been manufacturing torpedo parts. Karl Zeppelin, air commentator of the German Overseas News Agency, says that Russia has several hundred long-range bombers, and with the eastern front nearer, an effort may be made to bring Berlin in an air pincers. The distance from the nearest point on the eastern front is now little more than from Britain to Berlin.