Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Current Events February 11, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY FEBRUARY 11, 1944:



 
Nazi Aircraft Plants
Terrific Dogfights Mark Action;
New Luftwaffe Tactics Force
Some U.S. Escorts Back
Flying Fortresses, striking a new blow in the concerted preinvasion campaign to wipe the Luftwaffe from the skies yesterday smashed through some of the heaviest fighter opposition yet encountered to carry the Eight Air Forces' third heavy blow in 30 days on Brunswick, where a large portion of Germany's war planes are produced.
The Luftwaffe, judging from early reports of returning American crews hurled everything it had into a desperate—but vain— effort to keep the bombers away from the target.
For 21 hours—from the time the Forts roared across the enemy coast for the 450-mile penetrations to Brunswick until they reached the channel again on the way back
—the bombers and their escorts
                                                          Direct Hits On Targets
USAAF headquarters late last night announced that at least 90 Nazi planes were destroyed during the day against the loss of 29 bombers and 11 fighters.
It also said that the great Central Germany aircraft manufacturing center had received a severe pounding.
Direct hits upon the targets were reported.
As the Fortresses- carried on the already-effective drive to cut into Nazi fighter production, Liberators pounded the German fighter base at Gilze- Rijen, in Holland, and Marauders again lashed at the unidentified but much battered secret military targets in France, though snow and sleet in the straits;, restricted operations.
Marauder crews again reported a minimum of fighter resistance, but Hundreds of Me 109's, FW 190's and Ju. 83 s mixed it up with the escorting Thunderbolts. Lightnings and Mustangs.
One, new trick reported in use by the Nazis was that of concentrating on a portion of the escort long before it reached the target, engaging them in such severe fighting that the  P 47s were unable to go the full distance to Brunswick some P47's were forced to turn back, leaving a number of fortresses unescorted to fight it out alone.
                                                         Fiercer Than Jan. 11
The air battle was described by some crewmen as even fiercer than the Jan 11 attack on Brunswick. Oschersleben and Halberstadt, when the USAAF lost a record 60 bombers but shot down 152 Nazi fighters.

 
 
Allies In Italy
Beat Off Big
Beach Drive
Main Weight Of German
Counter-Offensive Still
To Come, However
A series of heavy German counterattacks against the outer perimeter of the Allied beachhead in Italy was beaten off yesterday, but it was believed that despite their strength the enemy thrusts represented mere probing of the Allied lines preparatory to the beginning of an all-out offensive to drive the invaders into the sea.
With the initiative having passed. to Marshal Kesselring the Allies were fighting a defensive battle in- every sector of the bridgehead, the entire front having erupted into blazing action.
Taking cognizance of the German counter-drive. Under Secretary of War Robert Patterson said in Washington that the beachhead was firmly established. However, he warned that the greatest weight of the German attack was still to come.


U. S. Bombings
Smashing Japs
Out Of Rabaul
Being Abandoned As Base
After Repeated Attacks;
Madang Deserted
Relentless Allied bombing apparently has brought the Japanese "to their knees" at two bases in the Southwest. Pacific, it was indicated last night in dispatches, which said that Madang, main port in North Central New . Guinea had been deserted and Rabaul had been abandoned as the main naval base in the area.
Reconnaissance planes following on the heels of U.S. bombers in their Wednesday assault at Rabaul brought back evidence that only a few ships remain in the harbor, once teeming with merchant vessels protected by strong units of the Japs' main fleet from Truk.
Australian reports said that it is believed the Japs, in face of Allied pressure from two sides, had quit Madang to move to Wewak, 170 miles farther up the coast. U.S bombers of the Fifth Air Force swooping low over the battered port Wednesday saw no evidence .of life, and antiaircraft defenses were silent.

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