May 9, 1944; Berlin; Brunswick Bombed:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY MAY 9, 1944:

The War Today

Air War- U.S. heavy bombers hit Berlin second day in a row while others strike Brunswick ; preinvasion softening-up offensive against France and Belgium goes on without pause; American, and British heavies in the Mediterranean strike Bucharest and other Balkans targets in support of Russian drives.

Russia_ Attacking Red Army infantry gains in north and south ends of Sebastopol ; Russian bombers heavily raid Kotka. important "Finnish Port on the Gulf of Finland ; other land fronts quiet. :

Pacific— Japs open offensive in Imphal-Kohima sectors of the Burma front.; enemy losses heavy, Lord Mountbatten declares, with British Aiding newly-won Kohima positions ; bombers batter Kuriles, in far north, and Marshalls and Schouten Islands in southwest Pacific.

Italy_ Weekend Commando raids on Ligurian Riviera from Corsica and Sardinia reported by enemy sources ; Patrol clashes at; Cassino and on Garigrono front  shelling of enemy points in Albania and in Anzio area by Allied warships revealed.

New York, N.Y.—London, England Tuesday, May 9, 1944

Thousands of American and Allied planes stormed across Europe yesterday in their incessant campaign to cripple German resistance before the Allied invaders strike and the Red Army launches its final offensive from the east.

American heavy bombers, numbering up to 1,000 and escorted by a like number of fighters, battled through furious Nazi fighter resistance to give Berlin its second daylight bombing in 24 hours and to bomb the rail and aircraft manufacturing center of Brunswick.

France and Belgium heard the roar of Allied planes virtually without cessation throughout the day and night, with heavies, mediums, fighter bombers and pursuits carrying on the drive to crack the West Wall. In direct support of the Russians' drive into the Balkans, Mediterranean based Halifaxes, Wellingtons and Liberators followed up by night the U.S. heavy blows at Bucharest, capital of Rumania. Oil fields and other targets also were hit in the round-the-clock offensive.

Ceaseless Blitz

Across Channel

The day-and-night assault on the Channel coast of France and Belgium continued virtually without interruption yesterday. Wave after wave of mediums and lighter-bombers and a small force of Libs lashed the area in daylight and RAF heavies in strength blasted enemy airfields and ammunition dumps by night.

Damage Mounts

In Ravaged Capital

American heavy bombers 'carried the Allied pre-invasion air offensive to the heart of Germany again yesterday, battering Berlin for the second day in a row and striking Brunswick for good measure. Nearly 1,000 heavies were engaged in the double attack. Explosives again were heaped on the German capital which, in the words of Nazi commentators, has been "condemned to death by the Allies.''

Japs Launch

Big Drive on

Burma Front

Losing Heavily in Assaults

In Kohima-Imphal Area.

Mountbatten Claims

The Japanese opened in Burma  have opened a general Offensive on all sectors of the Marfipur Hills front from Imphal to Kojiima, apparently in an all-out effort to gain positions in which to spend the approaching monsoon, Adm. Lord Louis Mountbatten announced at his Kandy (Ceylon) headquarters yesterday.

The Southeast Asia headquarters communique said the Japanese were "strongly counter-attacking to regain forward positions which. they lost recently." and added that in every case they were "suffering disproportionately heavy losses.''

The new action on the Burma front coincided with renewed bombing of Paramushiru and Shumashu, in the Kurile Islands north of Japan, and an attack by

U.S. Catalina pat;ol bombers on a Japanese convoy of eight ships east of  the Celebes, in the Duti'h East Indies. One medium cargo ship 'was damaged.

The War Today

Air War- U.S. heavy bombers hit Berlin second day in a row while others strike Brunswick ; preinvasion softening-up offensive against France and Belgium goes on without pause; American, and British heavies in the Mediterranean strike Bucharest and other Balkans targets in support of Russian drives.

Russia_ Attacking Red Army infantry gains in north and south ends of Sebastopol ; Russian bombers heavily raid Kotka. important "Finnish Port on the Gulf of Finland ; other land fronts quiet. :

Pacific— Japs open offensive in Imphal-Kohima sectors of the Burma front.; enemy losses heavy, Lord Mountbatten declares, with British Aiding newly-won Kohima positions ; bombers batter Kuriles, in far north, and Marshalls and Schouten Islands in southwest Pacific.

Italy_ Weekend Commando raids on Ligurian Riviera from Corsica and Sardinia reported by enemy sources ; Patrol clashes at; Cassino and on Garigrono front  shelling of enemy points in Albania and in Anzio area by Allied warships revealed.

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