8th AF Aided Paratroops

Having culminated its role in the Rhine crossing Saturday with blazing bomber and fighter sweeps up and down enemy territory, activities of the 8th Air Force fell off sharply yesterday as approximately 250 Liberators and some 250 Mustangs and Thunderbolts attacked three underground oil storage depots near Brunswick and Hamburg.

But on Saturday, the 8th put together a might procession of bombers and fighters which flew 3,000 sorties in cooperation with the troops streaming across the river. The bombers, which had been devastating enemy airfields east of the Rhine for three days, plastered 16 more and dropped weapons and supplies in a daring low-level operation to paratroops immediately after they had landed.

From dawn to dusk Thunderbolts and Mustangs patrolled the battle area, riddling troop concentrations, supply columns, rail yards and airfields. Only 66 NAZI fighters were met, an  indication of the results of the bombers' relentless attacks on Luftwaffe fields, and 53of these were shot down. The 8th lost 22 bombers and four fighters during the day.

Liberators, which dropped supplies to the airborne troops bore the brunt of the losses-20 out of approximately 240, which followed directly behind transports and gliders and dropped the sky-fighters some 600 tons of weapons and medical supplies from 100 feet. The Libs had to battle through an intense storm of 20-mm antiaircraft, machine-gun and small weapons fire.

The massive operation of the 8th was split three ways. Early in the morning, around 1,050 Forts and Libs hit 12 airfields east of the Rhine. This was followed by the mission supporting the airborne troops. Then late in the afternoon, 450 heavies struck four additional fields in the Reich, raising to 25 the total of airdromes hit by the 8th in its fierce attack on NAZI fighter bases.

At the day's end the German lines were a shambles, supply lines wrecked, rails torn and twisted, airfields gutted and cratered. Long clumns of enemy convoys werew set aflame and riddled by fighters. An entire motorized infantry battalion was battered and routed by Mustang pilots who caught the unit as it roared along a highway near Cologne. Fighter pilots reported shooting up 45 locomotives, 210 rail cars, 300 motor vehicles and 21 barges. Most of these transportation elements were loaded with personnel.