SOUTHAMPTON RAIDS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1940, Page 7

SOUTHAMPTON RAIDS

EXTENT OF CASUALTIES PEOPLE’S APPALLING PLIGHT [BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT..] LONDON, December 2. The Air Ministry in its report states: “The German raids during Sunday night were mainly concentrated upon southern England. Buildings were damaged by explosives arid by fire. Some persons were killed and injured. Bombs were dropped in London and in the Home Counties, and in a few places elsewhere. The reports indicate little damage. Eight enemy planes svere destroyed on Sunday. Five of our planes, were lost. All of the pilots are safe.” Agency reports ,tell of a raid on a south coast port, which the Germans say was Southampton, which had its heaviest raid of the war on Saturday night. Flares were seen falling in the town area followed, by incendiary bombs and then by explosives. ' London received its usual nocturnal visit. Raiders were reported over Liverpool and towns in the Midlands, the south-west of England, South Wales, and East Anglia.

The Official German News Agency stated that after nightfall yesterday, German squadrons bombed harbour works, dry docks, industrial plant, and other essential wai' objectives at Southampton. The railway connection between Southampton and London, the agency says, has been interrupted. The casualties caused by Saturday night’s raid on Southampton were not unduly heavy. The city on Sunday was a scene of tragic activity as the Auxiliary Fire Service, the A.R.P. workers, the soldiers, the American Red Cross, and helpers worked tirelessly to relieve the appalling plight of the Southampton people. A bareheaded priest throughout the day cheered the queues of people who had been rendered homeless, mostly women and children, who were waiting outside of the clearing centre. DIRECT HIT ON SHELTER. RUGBY, December 2. Southampton was again the main objective of last night’s enemy .airraids. In announcing 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. Driven to a great height by the intense air'barrage, the raiders proceeded to shower down hundreds of incendiaries. While the local firemen were tackling the outbreaks, the Nazi airmen dropped high-ex-plosives, 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 jendered homeless. The casualties from both raids, last night, were small.

370 KILLED OR INJURED. (Reed; Dec. 3, 12.5 p.m.). LONDON, December 2. The Air Ministry has announced that 370 were killed or seriously injured in the Southampton raids, on Saturday and Sunday nights. THOUSANDS HOMELESS (Recd. Dec. 3, 11.50 a.m.). LONDON, December 2. The first Southampton details indicate that the Germans repeated the previous night’s tactics. With undiminished violence, wave after wave of raiders attacked the town, continuing their mission of brutality till early in the 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 the dislocation of food supplies. Temporary accommodation was found for thousands rendered homeless. Hundreds of workers, when they arrived at their places of employment, this morning, found them destroyed. Some residents of 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 were set on fire. Some streets are impassable. Hundreds of steel-helmeted pioneers were tackling the demolition work, causing the town to rock frequently, to-day, as masonry and timber fell. Most of the casualties were probably concentrated in a communal underground shelter, which was directly hit by a heavy bomb. Rescuers are still extricating bodies.

GERMAN VERSION. (Recd. Dec. 3, 11.50 a.m.). LONDON, December 2. 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 on the previous night in Southampton, merged into a huge sea of fire. TWO ENEMY LOSSES. RUGBY, December 2. A communique states: There was only slight enemy activity over Britain, to-day. A number of enemy fighters and fighter-bombers, this morning, flew in over the coast, but were turned back by our fighters whilst still over Kent. No bombs are so far reported. Two enemy fighters were shot down by our fighters, without loss to ourselves. STATION’S GREAT RECORD. LONDON, December 2. The six hundredth enemy aeroplane destroyed by squadrons operating from a single fighter command station was shot down on Saturday following the joint efforts of two Spitfire pilots who belong to the one squadron. One pilot, a 22-year-old flight commander, already had 11 destroyed enemy to his credit, and the other, a 26-year-old pilot officer, had 19. Both have already received the D.F.C. R.A.F. ATTACKS. RUGBY, December 2. An Air Ministry communique states: On Sunday morning, aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked the military * camp. at Christiansund. Bombs fell along the waterfront,

damaging buildings, and others damaged warehouses on the quayside. Another aircraft of the Coastal Command successfully attacked the gasworks at Esjberg. An explosion followed the bombing. None of our aircraft was lost in these operations. On Monday night, our bombers attacked the shipbuilding yards at Wilhelmshaven. All our aircraft returned.

GERMAN CLAIM. \ (Recd. Dec. 3, 11.50 a.m.). LONDON, December 2. A German 1 communique says that British planes at dawn bombed residential districts in a German coastal area. n.z. casualties; WELLINGTON, December 2. The following casualties were officially announced to-nigljt:— Sergeant Frederick .Jack Newman, R.N.Z.A.F., missing on air operations. His father is Mr. C. M. Newman, 39 Alberton Avenue, Mount Albert, Auckland. Pilot Officer Leonard Terence Jervis Ryan, killed on air operations. His father is Mr. T. J. Ryan, 125 Lemon Street, New Plymouth. Pilot Officer'Edward Read Osborn, missing on air operations. His father is Mr. S. H. Osborn, 42 Heriot Row, Dunedin.