THIS WAS TODAY, April 18, 1943:
One of the greatest armadas of Flying Fort-
ress'es ever assembled against any target in the European theater
battled through fierce fighter opposition and strong anti-aircraft
/ire today to deliver a record blow, fittingly against the Bremen
plants assembling Fock Wulf planes—the most bitter aerial enemy
of the Forts.
J a p a n marked the eve of the first anniversary of the Doolittle
raid on Tokyo Saturday with renewed radio threats of bombing attacks against the
United States and the boast that Japan's anti-aircraft defenses are now "adequate"—particularly around Tokyo.
The Allied air offensive from bases in Britain mounted to 132 consecutive
hours—six days and five nights—yesterday as fighters and bombers streaked
across the Channel in daylight attacks on Nazi targets.
Allied forces barring the Japanese route to Australia are likely to be faced with
their sternest test of all during the coming few weeks, according to an informed
source from Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters. It is believed that a
Japanese effort on a scale even larger than that beaten off during the battle of
the Coral Sea is imminent.
Attempts to reoccupy Port Moresby and to gain control of the whole of New
Guinea are thought to be part of the plan.
Charleston Daily Mail
C H A R L E S T O N , WEST V I R G I N I A , S U N D A Y M O R N I N G , A P R I L 1 8 , 1943
Fortresses Shatter Breman, Down 50 German Planes
Focke Wolfe Plants
Demolition Target;
16 U. S. Craft Lost
Swarms of Fighters and Dense Flak
Erupt From War-Vital Reich City;
Phalanx of Raiders Awesome Sight
LONDON (UP).-—One of the greatest armadas of Flying Fort-
ress'es ever assembled against any target in the European theater
battled through fierce fighter opposition and strong anti-aircraft
/ire today to deliver a record blow, fittingly against the Bremen
plants assembling Fock Wulf planes—the most bitter aerial enemy
nf the Forts.
The American bombardiers, it was announced, scored "numerous
bursts" in the target area on their seventh raid of the war
against Germany and the first in which they were out after a
specific enemy war factory in the reich. Sixteen Fortresses failed
to return, but the Americans shot down a record-breaking number
of more than 50 Germans planes that tried to stem the attack.
U.S. Anxiety
Rising Over
Kiska Base
13 Bombings in Day
Reflect U. S. Failure
To Dislodge Japs
TOKYO (UP). — J a p a n marked the eve of the first anniversary of the Doolittle
raid on Tokyo Saturday with renewed radio threats of bombing attacks against the
United States and the boast that Japan's anti-aircraft defenses are now "adequate"—particularly around Tokyo.
WASHINGTON (UP).—
American airmen in the Aleutians, engaged in an all-out at- tempt, to keep the Japanese
from completing a well-started l a n d plane base on Kiska, have 'subjected that rugged island to a record-breaking total of 13 bombing raids in one day, the navy announced today. Despite the damage inflicted on them by tons of bombs in 9fi raids since March 1, the Japanese appeared to be making progress in the laborious job of hewing runways out of rock and establishing an air base where early in the A l e u t i a n s campaign, American m i l i t a r y experts had said none could be b u i l t .
The Wisconsin State Journal
MADISON, SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 1943
Attacks Gigantic, Plane Losses High
Bombers Smash
Four Nazi Cities
Yanks Lose 16
in Bremen Raid
55 RAF Ships Missing
in Three Operations
LONDON—(U.P.)—A strong force of United States precision bombers.
16 Of which w°re lost, battered the Focke Wulf airplane factory
in Bremen Saturday with several hundred tons of bombs and shot
down a record-breaking number of more than 50 German planes
that tried to stem the attack.
The American bombardiers, it was announced, scored "numerous
bursts" in the target area on their seventh raid of the war against
Germany and the first in which they were out after specific
enemy war factory in the reich.
600 Planes Pound Arms Plant
The Americans followed over Germany more than 600 Royal
Air Force bombers which Friday nigh pounded the great Skoda
arms works in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, and other German war industries
in the twin Rhine river cities and Mannheim and Ludwigsbafen.
The RAF -unloaded probably the greatest weight of bombs
ever dropped in a single operation. The RAF lost 55 bombers, a new
high for the war, as was the American loss in this theater—a
total of 71 Allied bombers destroyed within 24 hours..
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