2,000 planes pound Munich; Toulon ripped
U.S. bombers defy weather and flak
By Walter Cronkite, United Press staff writer
Bulletin
London, England –
Twenty bombers and two fighter planes were listed as missing in today’s raid over Munich, Germany, the U.S. 2nd Tactical Air Force announced.
London, England –
U.S. warplanes estimated at more than 2,000 strong defied bad weather and violent anti-aircraft fire today to invade southern Germany and smash at targets in the Munich area, while Liberators based in the Mediterranean area struck at big port of Toulon on the southern French coast.
More than 1,100 Fortresses and Liberators were in the task force, surrounded by an escort of 70 Thunderbolt, Mustang and Liberator fighters, which flew through bad weather to lay their bombs by instruments through a solid blanket of clouds over Munich.
Escorted by Mustangs
The Mediterranean-based Liberators, meanwhile, flew with an escort of Mustangs through heavy flak to bomb naval installations at Toulon. Returning crew members reported they encountered no enemy fighters and saw a good pattern of bombs fall on the target area.
The new two-way raids came as SHAEF announced that Allied aircraft had flown 158,000 sorties during the first month of the invasion, with a total loss of one percent. The announcement listed 1,284 planes lost as against a destruction of 1,067 enemy planes.
The number of enemy planes listed as destroyed did not include those destroyed or damaged in attacks on airfields, airfield factories or assembly plants, the report said.
Crewmen returning from the raid on Munich today said they did not encounter any interference from enemy fighters, but that flak directly over the target was very heavy.
Berlin battered
Berlin radio, acknowledging the attack, said the raiders encountered “powerful opposition,” but in early broadcasts made no specific mention of fighter interception.
The raid on Munich area targets followed an attack on Berlin during the night by Royal Air Force Mosquito bombers.
Second Tactical Air Force Mosquitoes ranged over northeastern France to attack road and rail transport along the German supply lines to the battlefields last night, despite bad flying conditions.
The Seine River ferries were assaulted: six troop trains bombed and strafed together with several focal points for troop movements. The raids were carried out in the area bounded by Paris, Amiens, Lille and Saint-Quentin by RAF, Australian and New Zealand squadrons.
Attack Nazi tanks
Supreme Headquarters announced that fighter-bombers and rocket-firing fighters attacked German tank and troop concentrations and motor transport south of Caen yesterday in direct support of Allied troops.
Two Mosquito fighter pilots staged a private 30-minute blitzkrieg on long camouflaged German freight trains south of Poitiers. As the trains entered a tunnel, the pilots shelled the rear cars, then swung around and caught the front end with machine-gun bullets as it emerged from the tunnel, blowing up the engine.