GREAT FIRE RAID ON CARDIFF

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 137, 6 March 1941, Page 8

GREAT FIRE RAID ON CARDIFF

Reckless. Destruction On Tuesday Night

LONDON, March 4.

Cardiff last night suffered one of the greatest fire-bombing raids of Ihe war, and the ruins of churches, schools, houses, and simps mark the trail of‘the night’s reckless destruction. Weary fire-lighters all, night and all morning continued to pour water on the smouldering ruins. The chief constable said lie doubted if any town had had more

■ incendiary bombs showered on it in a single raid. It was a real protechnic display. The streets were littered with extinguished incendiary bombs and piles of sand.

High-explosive bombs hit a hospital which was busy dealing with casualties at the peak,of the raid. The doctors and nurses carried on as if they were doing their ordinary duties.

The roar of the anti-aircraft guns and the sound of falling bombs was accompanied by the singing of homeless children in an air-raid shelter where a priest conducted a service for evacuees. ■

Bombers destroyed a number of houses in a north-eastern town. A woman of 24 died of shock. A soldier and his bride returned from their celebrations and found their new home in ruins.

A Berlin communique states: “Bombers, escorted by lighters, bombed aerodromes in the south of England. Bomber formations attacked Cardiff, causing violent explosions and fires. Others bombed Newcastle and attacked airfields in north London, where hangars and"fuel and munition dumps were destroyed.” A bomber crashed off the - Devonshire coast yesterday afternoon, two. others were shot down during the night, one by anti-aircraft fire at Cardiff and the other by one of our fighters over an aerodrome, and a fourth was shot down by one of our bombers over Germany on the nigh' of March 1-2.