RUSSIANS PLASTER BERLIN TARGETS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 187, 9 August 1941, Page 1 (Supplement)

RUSSIANS PLASTER BERLIN TARGETS

UGHTNING SWEEP I Nazis' Efforts To Conceal j Identity Of Raiders j I'nUfrt Association.—C<npyrifrtil. I Reed. 5 p.m. LONDON", August S. Surprising German defences, the ! Soviet Air Force struck its first blow ' against Berlin last night, when it swept in like lightning from the north and plastered factories, electri- ! cal installations and power stations i with high explosive and incendiarv bombs, says "The Times" Stockholm correspondent. Three squadrons of heaw TB fourengined bombers of the type which flew from Moscow to California before the outbreak of the war, 'carried out the raid. They took off from bases at Osel ■ and Dago, and completed the 1200mile trip without interception. The Germans are trying to conceal the identity of the raiders. Admission of the fact that the Rus- ! sians repaid some of the I.utwafTe's I bombing of Moscow wouid hardlv be ; compatible with Goebbels boast of the annihilation »f the entire Red Air ! Force. Goebbels dare not reveal the : truth. The latest officially inspired mes- ! sages from Berlin even declare that ; the raid was merely a Lutwaffe ! manoeuvre to test the new night defences. The messages are ludicrous when read in conjunction with j the earlier official announcement of • bombs being dropped. injuring people and damaging property. The I anti-aircraft batteries did not come I into action, and the night fighters I went up too late to deal with the raiders. | The Moscow radio said Soviet planes last night carried out a recon- | naissance over Germans as far as i Berlin and attacked military targets in several districts in Berlin. Explosions and fires were observed. All the planes returned.. The "Daily Mail" Stockholm I correspondent says the Russian planes carried copies of R.A.F. photographs of Berlin's chief objectives. Damage to most important was believed to have been done.