BERLIN CRIPPLED

Evening Star, Issue 25032, 26 November 1943, Page 3

BERLIN CRIPPLED

BUILDINGS STILL COLLAPSING MOSQUITOES OVER CAPITAL AGAIN LONDON, November 25. While Berlin was still reeling from the devastating effect of the R.A.F. raids on Monday and Tuesday nights, Mosquitoes visited the German capital again last night. It was only a small raid in comparison with the previous mass attacks. One bomber did not return,

The general impression of travellers arriving in Sweden from Germanv is that the two R.A.F. raids against Berlin are doing what scores of German raids against London failed to do—largely crippling the life of the capital.

The German army and S.S. have taken over the control of Berlin, reports the Stockholm -correspondent of the 1 Daily Mail.' Other reports reaching Stockholm state that all the Ministries and Government offices except the Ministry of the Interior and tho central police office are said to be quitting Berlin. It is also reported that the capital will be transferred to Vienna or Karlsbad if Berlin is made uninhabitable.

The Stockholm correspondent of the 'Daily Express' says: " One thing is clear—after only two raids of total war Berlin is staggering, groggy, and isolated to a considerable extent from quick relief. Telephones and cables have been interrupted, and seven of the maiai railway stations damaged, which is bound to delay the bringing of food and clothes to the bombed-out people of Berlin.

Swedish passengers who spent a night in the Mexican Legation shelter said the temperature rose to 140 deg Fahrenheit. One passenger added: " 1 have a distinct impression that the last two raids have destroyed at least half of Berlin."

Others report that troops in gas masks were called out to aid overwhelmed fire-fighters in dealing with broken gas mains throughout the city. There was a continuous half-mile of burning houses in one section in the west end. The city echoed throughout the day with explosions of time bombs and the dull rumble of collapsing buildings. Between 30.000 and 40,000 people who were bombed out formed queues outside the Nazi welfare offices for accommodation after the first raid. " GOTTERDAMMERUNG." The ' Gazette de Lausanne ' quotes the comment of a neutral diplomat after Monday night's raid. The diplomat, in his impressions, used the one word, " Gotterdammerung " the Gods."

The Berne correspondent of the Associated Press reports that Hitler was in conference at the Chancellery when the raid alarm was sounded on Monday night. He went to a shelter, emerged unharmed, and left Berlin early next morning by car, The production chief, General von Speer, and others who were present were also unharmed. The Stockholm correspondent of the ' Daily Mail' says the disruption of the Press services of the Propaganda Ministry is believed to be due to the destruction of the building and Dr Goebbels's hunt for a house for himself. ReichMarshal Goering, as well as Dr Goebbels and Herr von Ribbentrop, was bombed out. The Stockholm paper ' Afton-tidin-gen,' in an editorial, declares: "The Germans spoke of wiping out British towns, but. their results are in no way, comparable with the terrible results the heavy Allied attacks cause m economic and administrative centres. Ihe ' European fortress ' must soon tor the unfortunate people become a deathtrap where none can find safety. After the Berlin radio was silent tonight for an hour and a-half " for technical reasons," Goebbels, as Berlin s gauleiter and defence commissar, issued the following proclamation:— Ihe enemy is trying to destroy places of German culture by terror attacks out he is mistaken if he assumes that Berlin's morale might be worse than that of other German towns. One day the bitter time through which we are now living will end and a new and more beautiful Berlin will rise after victory from the debris of destroyed houses.