NINE HUNDRED TONS OF BOMBS ON BERLIN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 74, 29 March 1943, Page 3

NINE HUNDRED TONS OF BOMBS ON BERLIN

HEAVIEST RAID YET

Air Force Losses Amongst Lowest Recorded Rec. 11.30 a.m. LONDON, Mar. 28. The R.A.F. last night dropped over 900 tons of bombs on Berlin, which suffered the heaviest attack yet. Lancaster?, Halifaxes and Stirling bombers in clear weather made a concentrated attack, the tonnage of bombs dropped being about double that dropped on London in the heaviest German raid. "We lost nine bombers last night, which is the second lowest loss from any large-scale operation the R.A.F. has made against Berlin," an announcement stated. The German news agency says the bombers converged on the city in waves from the west and south and admits that damage- was done by high explosive and incendiary bombs. The Berlin radio says few Royal Air Force bombers succeeded in reaching Berlin's metropolitan area, and added that the damage was mostly in residential areas. The Royal Air Force was last over Berlin on March 1, when a great load of bombs was dropped in a concentrated raid lasting for half an hour. Dutch radio stations went off the air last night and other stations in Germany and Western Europe also closed down for a time. Telephonic communication between Stockholm and Berlin was cut off for an hour and a half. Other German Targets The Air Ministry states that on Friday night a strong force of aircraft attacked targets in the Ruhr, including the inland port of Duisburg. The weather was bad and the bombers had to fly through thick cloud over Duisburg. Great damage was done to the docks. One of the crew of a Lancaster bomber said he saw three terrific explosions, one of which lit up the clouds with a red glow. Four of our aircraft are missing from this raid.

Bomber Command Mosauitoes attacked a factory at Hengelo, Holland., on Friday evening, and fighters attacked goods trains and barges in Holland and North-west Germany in the afternoon. None of our aircraft is missing.

For the first time Fighter Command had carried its daylight offensive into Germany when a lone Mosquito covered more than QOO miles and shot up a variety of targets in North-west. Germany. It came home without meeting any air opposition. Targets for the Mosquito's cannon fire included two barges, two military lorries and goods trains.

A.I.F. WAR PRISONERS

About 17,000 Known To Be In Japanese Camps DEFINITE NEWS OF FEW ONIjY Rec. 10.30 MELBOURNE, this day. Of about 17,000 Australian servicemen known to be prisoners of war in the Far East, definite news has been received of fewer than 3000. Allied prisoners are divided among more than 30 known Japanese prison camps, scattered throughout Japan proper and many of her conquered territories. Although Australians are in the majority of these camps, only 2734 service personnel have been officially reported prisoners. About 800 are held both in Malaya and Amboina, about 300 in 'Borneo and Timor, with smaller numbers in Japan, Korea, Formosa and Java. The International Red Cross authorities are making continued representations to secure definite news of other Australian prisoners.

CHINESE DRIVE

GAINS IN YANGTSE REGION Rec. 10 a.m. LONDON, Mar. 28. A Chungking communique states that the Chinese have recaptured several strategic points in their drive on the Japanese lines south of the Middle Yangstse. Repeated enemy counter-attacks have been repulsed and a large quantity of military supplies seized. A Japanese column which was believed to be testing the Chinese defences was hurled back near the coast 40 miles south-west of Canton.

An earlier communique stated that the main theatre of fighting in central China had shifted from the Tungting Lage area to the Hupeh Province, north of the Yangtse. where the Chinese inflicted severe casualties on enemy garrisons. They recaptured many towns on the north shore of the Yangtse and smashed a four-pronged Japanese drive around Kingmen.

A Chinese communique reports a fresh Japanese drive in the Kwantung Province, apparently intended to remove the potential Chinese threat between Kowloon and Canton, has been repulsed.

The' Chinese have also halted an enemy offensive in south Yunnan aimed at Talo, the capture of which would threaten Chinese strongholds near the Burma-Indo-China border. The Japanese forced a river crossing near Talo, but were subsequently annihilated.

DUTCH SUBMARINE

TOLL OF AXIS SHIPPING Rec. 11.30 a.m. RUGBY, Mar. 28. The Netherlands Admiralty announces that a Dutch submarine, operating with th'e Royal Navy in the Far East, sank a Japanese supply ship of 4000 tons. This submarine has seen action in Norwegian waters, the Mediterranean and the Far East. Her score is more than 20,000 tons of German, Italian and Japanese shipping, including a German submarine

TIKI FOR MR. CURTIN

Rec. 2 p.m. SYDNEY, this day. Mr. Curtin has received a Maori tiki and a New Zealand pound note from an Australian woman resident in the Dominion. In an accompanying note the woman said it was an honour to work and fight or to give for Australia. The gift has been widely publicised throughout Australia, together with an explanation by the New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr. Berendsen, that the tiki has a deep religious and national significance among Maoris. "You can be sure it will bring Mr. Curtin luck," he said.

AUSTRALIAN TIME

Rec. 9.30 a.m. SYDNEY, this day. Daylight saving time for Australia ended yesterday, when the clocks were put back one hour and Eastern standard time again came into force, Australian time is now two hours behind New Zealand time.