THIRTEEN PER CENT LOSS IN NAZI ATTACK

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 64, 16 March 1944, Page 6

THIRTEEN PER CENT LOSS IN NAZI ATTACK

FIRE-RAISING RAID

R.A.F. Fighters In Strength

Meet Enemy

N.Z. Press Association—Copyright

Rec

2.30 p.lll

LONDON. March 15

Raiders over London last night totalled about 100, says the Press Association aviation correspondent. The 13 destroyed of this total was, therefore, a damaging percentage. The object of the raid was apparently purely fire-raising, but the use of a plentiful supply of flares suggests that it may also have been a "serious effort to obtain photographs of any possible concentrations, that may interest the enemy in relation to developments in the near future.

A feature of last night's defence was the large number of R.A.F. fighters. These night fighters w-e up in great strength, even while anti-aircraft guns were in action.

One London Embassy was hit. The building suffered some damage, but all documents were carried to safety. A member of the staff, who was firewatching, attempted to put out incendiaries on the roof, but was overcome by smoke and was unconscious when rescued.

Big Fires in London

Two of the largest fires occurred in two squares in the London area. Houses on both sides of one square burned fiercelv. One. which had just been completed, was to have oeen opened next week as a club. Many houses and flats in neighbouring streets were also burned. A famous London church, the scene of many fashionable weddings, was destroyed. Many other fires occurred in shops and office buildings, but most were quickly extinguished. Casualties were caused when a high-explosive bomb demolished a row of working-class houses in one area. Rescue squads dug all night for trapped persons. Phosphorus bombs were dropped in some areas. There are no reports of heavy civilian casualties.

To-day rescue squads were still recovering bodies from beneath a terrace of working class cottages, wrecked by a bomb. Many women and children were among the casualties.

Berlin radio claimed: "Tens of thousands of high explosives and incendiaries hit the desired targets in London, causing large fires." An official report says there was widespread bombing in south-east England, which caused damage and casualties including a number of people killed.