BERLIN BOMBED AGAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 January 1944, Page 6

BERLIN BOMBED AGAIN

HEAVY DAMAGE REPORTED

35 R.A.F. LOSSES . LONDON, January 21. British bombers attacked ,*J eT ’L n again last night, but no official retails of the raid are available. It vvas the eleventh heavy raid since me Battle of Berlin began on Novembgi The iiews that the attack had been made was given in an announcement by the Air Ministry shortly alte. midnight. It is believed ntat the attack was made shortly alter dark. A number of German radio stations went off the air, and later the Berlin radio said bombs had been dropp< -l on the city.’ The last big attack on Berlin was made on January z.. cip to and including that attack abem 14,00 tons of bombs had been dropped on the German capital. LATrR

The attack on Berlin last evening is officially described as very heavy.” Large fires were stamed and smoke rose to a gieat heigat. Mosquitoes were over north-west Germany, and many mines were laid by other aircraft in the enemy shipping lanes. From all operations <>o aircraft are missing. ; With better weather over the English Channel this morning, large formations of Royal Air Force fighters and bombers headed towards France. , ~ . The Air Ministry reports tnat Beaufighters of the Coastal Command, without loss, attacked enemy shipping off the Norwegian coast yesterday. Three medium-sized merchant vessels and several armed escort vessels were damaged. ENEMY FIGHTERS LATE. RUGBY, January 21. Last night’s 30-minute attack on Berlin was carried out by me largest force of Lancasters and Halifaxes so far sent by Bomber Command to the capital. A great cluster of skymarkers was continuously maintained over the target from 7.30 until 8 p.m. Crews could see the glow of fires under the clouds a great distance away on the homeward flight. In The later stages of the attack, black smoke spiralled up several thousand feet above the bombers. One crew reported that when the clouds suddenly broke in a single place they saw' a street clearly defined in the light of fires. Enemy fighters were late in arriving over Berlin, and made few interceptions on the way out. As the attack developed, they began to reach Berlin, and one bomber group reported about 40 sightings all over the target area, with five inconclusive combats resulting. Most of the early arrivals sighted no fighters at all, ‘although they saw the enemy laying a flare path over the city when they were well away from the target. Searchlights were blanketed by clouds and flak seemed lighter than usual. A Canadian bomber group was well represented and a Porcupine squadron was out for the first time. Three Pv.A.A.F. Lancaster squadrons and one Halifax squadron were also in the battle. One bomber squadron based in North England made the hundredth operation with Lancasters last night. 2300 TONS DROPPED RUGBY, January 21. It is officialiy slated that the Bomber Command last night dropped 2300 tons of bombs on Berlin, explosives and incendiaries raining down at the rate of 77 tons a minute. Large fires were left burning, wrch smoke rising to a great height.

OTHER OPERATIONS

RUGBY, Jan. 21.

U.S.A.A.F. Fortresses, Liberators and Marauders and R.A.F. Bostons, Mitchells, Mosquitoes, Typhof A.- ;}d Hurricanes bombed targets in WS|lr'‘ Calais to-day. The heavy bomWs were escorted by Thunderbolts and Lightnings, and the medium, light and fighter-bombers were escorted and supported by R.A.F., Dominion and Allied fighters. Canadian Albacores of the Coastal Command attacked in the Channel last night, two enemy destroyers, one of which was hit and left on fire. One of our aircraft is missing.