THIRD RAID ON SWANSEA

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 128, 24 February 1941, Page 7

THIRD RAID ON SWANSEA

Severe Damage Done FINE WORK OF CIVIL DEFENCE

People Show Fortitude

I raph (Received February 23, 7 p.m.) LONDON. February 22.

For the third successive night Swansea was raided in the early part of last night, the attack lasting about three hours and a half. An official communique states that fires were started and damage done to houses and business property. There were a number of casualties, including some killed.

There was also some activity over East Anglia for a short period during the night. A few bombs were dropped, some of them in the London area. No great damage was done and casualties were few. Swansea today is stunned and sad. Much was destroyed, but much remains. Some disorganization was inevitable, but the main arteries of local government are functioning as well as can be expected under “front-line con ditions.”

“The trek of the homeless began before daybreak, but these people were not wholly concerned with their own losses, because they could not forget the magnificent work of the civil defence services under the fiery onslaught. Last night’s raid was shorter than the previous t wo. but much more intensive.

The raiders arrived shortly after dark. Flares Cell in all parts of the town, but the main showers of incendiaries did not come down till the high explosives were dropped. The raiders then flew over Swansea in constant waves, dropping flares, incendiaries and high explosives simultaneously.

The work of Swansea fire-lighters greatly reduced the effect of fires caused by the incendiaries. People showed great fortitude amid the wreckage of I heir homes. Swansea suffered its second successive attack by the Luftwaffe on Thursday night and business premises were severely damaged during a long raid. Several members of the civil defence corps were killed and many people rendered homeless. Two high-explosive bombs fell on a roadway, digging large craters and tearing down the fronts of buildings for some distance. Incendiaries set fire to a whole row of workers, dwellings, but fire-fighters prevented the flames spreading.