Air armadas continue blitz, support troops
By Walter Cronkite
London, England (UP) –
The full striking power of the Allied air arm crashed down on the bomb-riddled German defenses in northern France today in the wake of a shattering double blow by the RAF night raiders against railway targets in the suburbs of Paris and a hidden Nazi fuel depot 12 miles behind the invasion coast.
Clearing skies over the Channel and the battle zone sent thousands of Allied warplanes thundering out at daybreak in what appeared to be their biggest ground-support operation since the beginning of the invasion.
A huge aerial task force of some 1,000 U.S. Flying Fortresses and Liberators escorted by about half that number of fighters blasted bridges, railway targets and airdromes over a wide area ranging from 100 to 150 miles south, southeast and southwest of the Normandy beachheads.
Clouds of medium bombers and fighter-bombers also shuttled across the Channel in continuous waves to strike at other urgent targets marked for destruction by ground force observers.
Official reports indicated that the Luftwaffe was rising to meet the challenge in increasing numbers, but the Allied fliers everywhere maintained an overwhelming superiority and swarms of fighter planes kept a tight cover over the beachhead troops.
The first official reports said Allied air forces lost 62 fighters, one medium bomber and 15 heavies in the 24-hour period, while 102 Nazi planes were destroyed, including at least one enemy troop carrier.
U.S. losses in that period numbered 39 fighters, two heavy bombers and one medium raider.