NAZI NIGHT RAIDS

Evening Star, Issue 23749, 3 December 1940, Page 7

NAZI NIGHT RAIDS

SOUTHAMPTON AGAIN BOMBED MET BY INTENSE AIR BARRAGE ONLY SLIGHT DAYLIGHT ACTIVITY (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright . RUGBY, December 2. (Received December 3, at 10.30 a.m.) An Air Ministry communique states: There was only slight enemy activity over Britain to-day. ,A number of enemy fighters and fighter-bombers in the morning flew in over the coast, but were turned back by our fighters whilst still over Kent. No bomb§ have been so far reported. Two enemy fighters were shot down by our fighters without loss to ourselves. Southampton was again the main objective of last night’s enemy air raids. , Announcmg this, a communique states; A number of fires were caused, but all were well under control by daybreak. It is reported that relays of German planes attacked for hours. The first force of raiders arrived early in the evening and dropped parachute flares. They were driven to a great height by an intense air barrage. The raiders proceeded to shower down hundreds of incendiaries. While the local firemen were tackling the outbreaks Nazi airmen dropped high explosives and caused wanton damage among business premises and private houses. A community underground shelter received a direct hit from a heavy bomb. A large number of people were rendered homeless. The casualties from both raids last night were small. UNDIMiNISHED VIOLENCE SDUTHAMPTiON BUSINESS AREA THE MAIN TARGET

SUBURBS ALSO ASSAILED LONDON, December 2 (Received December 3, at 11.50 a.m.) The first details of the Southampton raid indicate that the Germans repeated the previous nights tactics with undiminished violence. Wave after wave of raiders attacked the town, continuing their mission of brutality till the early morning, leaving large'areas of the town in ruins. The business area was again the main objective, but the suburbs were also assailed. Emergency measures were taken immediately to minimise dislocation. Food supplies and temporary accommodation were found for thousands of people rendered homeless. Hundreds of workers arrived at their places of employment in the morning and found them destroyed. Some residents in Southampton were killed, but the casualties are believed to be fewer than on Saturday night. Not a single house in one road escaped damage. One-half ■was set on fire. Some streets are impassable. Hundreds of steel-helmeted pioneers are tackling demolition work, causing the town to rock frequently to-day as masonry and timber fell. Most of the casualties were probably concentrated a communal underground shelter, which was directly hit by a heavy bomb. The rescuers are still extricating bodies. The Air Ministry announced that 370 people were killed and seriously injured in the Southampton raids on Saturday and Sunday nights. GERMAN COMMUNIQUE LONDON, December 2. (Received December 3, at 11.50 a.m.) A German communique refers to the second raid on Southampton and other localities last night, but gives no details. It claims that 60 large and numerous small fires started the previous night in Southampton merged into a huge sea of fire. It says British planes at dawn bombed residential districts in the German coastal area. DRASTIC. TAXES CANADIAN WAR BUDGET TARIFF ON BRITISH IMPORTS RELAXED OTTAWA, December 2. (Received December 3, at 1.30 p.m.) An emergency war Budget imposing drastic taxes on luxuries and removing the tariff from a wide range of United Kingdom imports was introduced in Parliament by Mr llsley. The Budget prohibits imports of automobiles and other luxuries, including manufactured tobacco and spirits, except from sterling areas, and imposes Excise taxes ranging from 20 to 80 per cent, on private automobiles and 25 per cent, on radios, vacuum cleaners, and virtually every type of electrical appliance. It completely suspends the present tariff on United Kingdom exports of cotton, artificial silks, bituminous coal, and furniture.

IKDO-CHINA AND THAILAND

AIR BATTLE OVER MEKONG RIVER FRENCH RETALIATION FOLLOWING BOMBINGS Press Association—By Telegraph —Copyright HANOI, December 2. An air battle lasting 20 minutes accurred above the Mekong River village of Thakek while the French retaliated against Thailand following bombings on November 28 and 30. The principal southern cities in Indo-China are blacked out and the Hanoi authorities are giving the impression of a grave situation. A message from Bangkok states that the High . Command issued a communique stating that Thai forces on Sunday repulsed the French invasion of Southern Thailand. It said that French planes continued to violate Thailand all day on Sunday.

AIR RAIDS CONTINUE FRENCH TROOP CONCENTRATION BOMBED BANGKOK, December 2. (Received December 3, at 9.5 a.m.) The Prime Minister (Luang Bipul Songgram) issued a communique stating that the Thai air force bombed military objectives at Thakhek on November 30. Ten bombs directly hit anti-air-craft batteries within the demilitarised zone, also a French troop concentration. A message from Hanoi says it is officially stated that several Thai planes dropped nine bombs but failed to hit the 500-ton French armed river boat Beryle near Koue Island, in the Gulf of Siam, after which two planes renewed the attack, whereupon the Beryle returned the fire and is believed to have damaged one plane, which escaped. Thai troops have occupied Bandong, an unprotected Mekong River island. ARRESTED IN SIAM FRENCH CATHOLICS' EXPERIENCES HANOI, December 2. (Received December 3, at 8 a.m.) It is officially stated that the French Catholic bishop in the Siamese part of Laos, Monsignor Gouin', also Father Malava and Sister Ursule, arrived at Thakhek from Siam on Sunday, after being arrested in Thailand, where they wore allegedly exposed to the public view, for six hours confined in an irpn cage before being expelled to IndoChina without permission to take their possessions. FIGHTING IN CHINA JAPANESE OFFENSIVE SMASHED SCORE OF SANGUINARY BATTLES CHUNKING, December 2. It is. officially announced that the Chinese 'have smashed the Japanese multiple-pronged offensive along the 150-mile front in North Hupeh, Tangying, and north-east Ichang at the week-end, killing over 12,658 Japanese in a score of scattered, sanguinary battles.

AMERICAN FINANCIAL AID WASHINGTON, December 2. (Received December 3, at 9.40 a.m.) The joint Senate and House Committee of Monetary Affairs unanimously approved proposals to extend financial aid to China and to help stabilise Chinese currency. AMERICAN AMBASSADOR MR J. P. KENNEDY RESIGNS POST WASHINGTON, December 1. Mr Joseph P. Kennedy said; “ After a short holiday I plan to devote ray efforts to what seems to me the greatest cause in the world to-day—helping the President to keep the United States out of the war.” It is expected that he will work as an individual and not retain any official poet. Mr Kennedy submitted his resignation as Ambassador to London on November 6 but during a conference with President Roosevelt to-day he offered to continue in the post until the President can make a leisurely selection of his successor. THE ARMY IN BRITAIN PROBLEM OF WINTER QUARTERS LONDON, December 1. The War Office revealed the heavy burden the public is. asked to bear in providing winter quarters for the largest army ever stationed in Britain. The army is hundreds of thousands greater than was expected as a'result of the evacuation from France. Existing barracks accommodate 250,000, another 200,000 can be accommodated in new camps with huts, and the remainder, totalling about 1,000,000, must be lodged in requisitioned buildings and billets. The problem can be easily solved during the summer, as many troops are under canvas, but 500,000 men must be transferred from tents to winter quarters and yet be immediately ready for action.