Dresden and Chemnitz, both lying in the direct path of the advancing Russian armies, and Magdeburg, about seventy miles south-west of Berlin, were the main targets for devastating blows by the R.A.F. on Tuesday night and the Eighth United States Air Force in daylight yesterday. Altogether over 3,600 ╒planes took part. Raid warnings broadcast by the Germans last night showed that the assault was being continued.
The city of Dresden had not previously suffered a major raid and huge fires started by the R.A.F. on Tuesday night were still burning when the Americans arrived at mid-day yesterday.
Fortresses and Liberators from Italy attacked oil targets and communications in Vienna, while other formations of heavy bombers pounded the Maribor railway yards in Yugoslavia for the second consecutive day.
650,000 INCENDIARIES
An Air Ministry communique said that the R.A.F. went to Dresden twice on Tuesday night. Both attacks were highly concentrated and large fires were left burning. Another objective was the synthetic oil plant at Bohlen, a few miles south of Leipzig. Two attacks were made on Magdeburg, and Nuremburg, Bonn, and Dortmund were also bombed. Night fighters and intruder aircraft of Bomber Command supported the bombers and attacked airfields, destroying at least two enemy aircraft in combat.
Only six bombers are missing from the force of 1,400 sent out. The great industrial town of Dresden is of immense value to the enemy as a base for the defence against Koniev╒s armies. In the first attack, which began soon after ten o╒clock, there was cloud over the target, but around it and along our route the sky was clear. By the time the second force reached the city over three hours later the cloud had gone and crews were able to see the effect of the first attack. A meteorological officer said that the heat of the fires started in the first attack probably dispersed the cloud over the city.
Nearly 650,000 incendiaries, together with 8,000lb H.E. bombs and hundreds of 4,000-pounders, were dropped, and crews reported that smoke rose to a height of 15,000 feet.
