The Wilmington Morning Star

RAF AGAIN ROCKS HAMBURG
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Dominion and Allied fighters which destroyed four German challengers. Heavy U. S. Thunderbolt fighters simultaneously swept the Dutch and French coasts. In all daylight operations, the score of destroyed planes was more than 54-26 in favor of the Allies.

The three heavy attacks on Hamburg not only was a material blow at Germany; they formed a psychological strike as well. The triple attack came less than a week after the bombing of Rome, which presumably had great effect in the overthrow of Mussolini.

The ceaseless day and night pounding which was set off with the American Flying Fortress raid on Trondheim in Norway last Saturday fast was sapping the strength of the enemy's defenses.

American fliers returning from today's second successive daylight sortie over Germany reported seeing few Nazi fighters, whereas in yesterday's assaults on Hamburg, Kiel and other targets the enemy set an estimated 200 interceptors to grapple with the Flying Fortresses.

"Yesterday you could shake hands with them. Today none came closer to me than 600 yards," declared one American gunner. He and his mates said they hit today's targets squarely.

Last night's devastating attack on Essen, like the previous night's record 2,300-ton blow at Hamburg, was all over in 50 thundering minutes - a typical sudden "saturation" assault perfected by Britain's great night bomber fleet.

When the four-engined planes turned for home they left smoke billowing 20,000 feet over Essen, the Air Ministry said, adding that it was easily the heaviest attack ever made on the industrial capital of the Ruhr.

"At the end of the attack smoke from a mass of fires, well concentrated, was rising to over 20,000 feet," the ministry said. "There were several violent explosions such as have been so often seen in recent heavy attacks."

In addition to today's raid by American medium bombers on the Saint Omer field, formations of RAF Typhoons and Boston bombers pounded German air bases at three points in France and Belgium, ripping buildings, hangars and runways to drain Nazi aerial resources. Many squadrons of crack Spitfire fighters escorted them.

Most of last night's loss of 25 RAF bombers undoubtedly was sustained over Essen, whose anti-aircraft defenses are among the strongest in the Ruhr.