Current Events October 18, 1943;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY OCTOBER 18, 1943:

The Allies' aerial "second front" has brought the Luftwaffe's expansion through new production to a standstill,
Brig. Gen. Frederick L. Anderson, chief of the U.S. Army's Eighth Bomber Command, said last night.
Even during the Italian landings and the big Russian advances, Germany was forced to withdraw planes from these fronts to meet air attacks from Britain, Gen. Anderson asserted.

U.S. Army combat planes have shot down four enemy aircraft for every American machine lost, the Office of War Information announced today. In 21 months of war 7.312 enemy aircraft .have been destroyed in aerial combat against a loss of 1,867 U.S. planes shot down.
In a comprehensive report on the performance and production of U.S. military and naval aircraft, the OVV1 declared that army planes flew 223,758 sorties and dropped 105,649 tons, of bombs from Dec. 7, 1941, to Sept. 1. .1943. In addition to the 7.312 enemy planes reported destroyed, 2,196 were probably destroyed and 2,535 were damaged.
The report, notable for its frankness, compared American planes with their opposite numbers in use by the enemy

With strong fleets of bombers and fighters blasting open a path before them, Allied ground forces resumed .their New Guinea offensive yesterday and pressed through the Ramu valley toward Madang,
Allied headquarters announced tonight. Bombers blasted the Madang area with 42 tons of bombs while fighters strafed the outer defenses of the town. Australian ground troops already are in control of many of the bases' supply outposts while Americans have moved to within 40 miles of the base itself.
More than 400 Jap dead have been counted in the area during the past two week

              THE STARS AND STRIPES
           Daily Newspaper of U.S. Armed Forces in the European Theater of Operations
                     New York, N.Y.—London, England                  Monday, Oct. 18, 1943

      Luftwaffe Expansion Bombed to a Stop

Raid Effects
Are Praised
By Anderson
SCHweinfurt Totaly KO'd,
He Says; Reich Stripping
Other Aerial Fronts

The Allies' aerial "second front" has brought the Luftwaffe's expansion through new production to a standstill,
Brig. Gen. Frederick L. Anderson, chief of the U.S. Army's Eighth Bomber Command, said last night.
Even during the Italian landings and the big Russian advances, Germany was forced to withdraw planes from these fronts to meet air attacks from Britain, Gen. Anderson asserted.
In an interview with Gladwin Hill, of the Associated Press, Gen. Anderson pointed to the long series of daylight precision attacks on Nazi airplane factories by American bombers as a vital factor in bringing expansion of the Luftwaffe to a dead halt, but he added that the days of the final critical blows against the Reich's war effort still were some distance off.
Referring to last Thursday's great Fortress assault on the Schweinfurt ball and roller bearing plant, most vital air target in all Germany, the bomber chieftain said tersely:
'"The entire works are now inactive. ''It may be possible for the Germans eventually to restore 25 per cent of normal productive capacity," he said, "but even that will require some time."
                                       Photos Reveal Wider Damage
Detailed study of reconnaissance photos taken during the raid—one of the most important of the war—revealed even more extensive damage and destruction than first estimated from "strike" pictures taken when targets were covered with smoke, fires and bursting bombs.

U.S. Planes
Win 4-to-1
Score in Air

Frank OWI Report Tells
How American Models
Compare With Foe's

; NEW YORK, Oct. 17—
U.S. Army combat planes have shot down four enemy aircraft for every American machine lost, the Office of War Information announced today. In 21 months of war 7.312 enemy aircraft .have been destroyed in aerial combat against a loss of 1,867 U.S. planes shot down.
In a comprehensive report on the performance and production of U.S. military and naval aircraft, the OVV1 declared that army planes flew 223,758 sorties and dropped 105,649 tons, of bombs from Dec. 7, 1941, to Sept. 1. .1943. In addition to the 7.312 enemy planes reported destroyed, 2,196 were probably destroyed and 2,535 were damaged.
The report, notable for its frankness, compared American planes with their opposite numbers in use by the enemy.
                                                                  Numbers Count
The report said that the box scores favoring the U.S. was a direct development resulting from the superiority of thenumber of American planes in many cornbat theaters. However, it was said thatin China, where the Japanese had the
____________________________________________
The text of the OWI report on fighter
planes is published on Page 2. The
portion dealing with bombers will be
printed tomorrow.
____________________________________________
most planes, one of the highest box scores had been achieved by American pilots.
On the subject of plane production, the report said "it has become apparent that the production goals set for the aircraft industry for 1943 are not going to be met, although jnore planes are being built now than ever before." In September alone 7,598 military and naval planes were produced.

Japs at Madang
40 Miles Away
Planes Support Allies Near
Vital Enemy Base in
New Guinea
ALLIED HQ., Southwest Pacific, Oct. 17—
With strong fleets of bombers and fighters blasting open a path before them, Allied ground forces resumed .their New Guinea offensive yesterday and pressed through the Ramu valley toward Madang,
Allied headquarters announced tonight. Bombers blasted the Madang area with 42 tons of bombs while fighters strafed the outer defenses of the town. Australian ground troops already are in control of many of the bases' supply outposts while Americans have moved to within 40 miles of the base itself.
More than 400 Jap dead have been counted in the area during the past two weeks.
The Allied air forces are undisputed masters of the New Guinea skies following the reduction of Rabaul to a shattered shambles. Air activity is generally increasing in the southwest Pacific area.
Allied bombers have struck at the Jap positions on New Britain and New Ireland, while in the Solomons Jap planes are being sought out and shot down as they move in on reconnaissance patrol,
A Japanese float-plane was shot down into the sea off Croiseul in the Solomons.