TWELVE KILLED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 41, 18 February 1943, Page 5

TWELVE KILLED

NAZI RAID ON WALES

R.A.F. Bombs U-Boat Base Of Lorient

N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 11.30 a.m. LONDON, Feb. 17. Twelve people were killed and many injured, including three W.A.A.F.'s killed and two injured, in a short, sharp raid on a South Wales town last night, which Berlin says was Swansea. A few bombers dropped flares ajid circled over the town before releasing their bombs. A considerable number of houses, hotels and shops were damaged. Fires were started, most of which were out before morning. One bomb fell in the hospital grounds. The patients have been evacuated to other hospitals. Four low-flying Focke-Wulfs 190 attacked an east coast town this morning. Bombs caused widespread damage, including three churches. Bombs dropped on a residential area bounced over a street of houses and damaged a block of shops. The raiders machine - gunned workers' houses and a number were taken to hospital. The Germans lost three bombers in scattered night attacks on the western area of England last night. Shortly before dusk another enemy plane was shot into the sea off the south-west coast. R.A.F. Targets in Europe "Last night our bombers made another heavy and concentrated attack on Lorient, U-boat base in the Bay of Biscay," states the Air Ministry. "One enemy fighter was shot down by our bombers. "Fighter Command aircraft attacked enemy communications and transport at many points in France, Belgium and North-west Germany and destroyed enemy aircraft. Two of our bombers are missing." Royal Air Force bombers were over enemy territory last night. Four Axis-controlled radio stations went off the air, two of these being in Denmark and the others in Calais and Paris. The Air Ministry and the American Army Europe Headquarters state that Flying Fortresses and Liberators attacked enemy submarine installations at St. Nazaire in daylight yesterday. Visibility was good and bombs were seen to burst in the target area and fires were started. Photographs show that the Germans suffered from the accurate bombing of St. Nazaire on Tuesday in spite of enemy opposition which makes St. Nazaire one of the "toughest in the book."