BERLIN AGAIN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20379, 16 October 1940, Page 5

BERLIN AGAIN

BRITISH BOMBS BIG FIRES RAGE HEART OF THE CITY MILITARY TARGETS OTHER GERMAN ZONES PORTS AND AIR BASES (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Oct. 16, 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 15. Royal Air Force bombers last night attacked oil plants and other targets in Germany in addition to Channel ports. An Air Ministry comihunique states: “Last night our bombers again struck at Berlin and other targets in Germany and German-occupied territory. Several important military objectives in Berlin were effectively bombed. Attacks were also made on oil plants at Stettin; ’Madgeburg and Meishburg. The attack on Stettin was particularly effective. “A strong force of bombers attacked Le Havre, where from the fires and explosions which resulted it is estimated considerable damage was done. “Other aircraft, which owing to the adverse weather were unable to locate their primary targets, bombed docks at Hamburg, Emden and Den Helder, and railway communicatians at Gottingen, Lingen and Hanover besides several factories and aerodromes. From these extensive operations and from patrols undertaken in daylight yesterday by the Coastal Command four of our aircraft have not reported to their bases.” Hour and a Quarter For nearly an hour and a quarter last night British raiders flew over Berlin, seeking out and attacking a number of military objectives both in the suburbs and the heart of the capital. A further Air Ministry bulletin states that slight haze lay over the city when shortly after 2 a.m. the first raiders penetrated the outer ring of Berlin’s powerful defences and circled high over the capital. A hunters’ moon which helped the raiders on the 600-mile flight from England lit up the sprawling city. Large gasworks in the Danzigerstrasse, two and three-quarter miles from the city’s centre, were quickly located and a well-aimed stick of heavy-calibre bombs started several fires which soon gained intensity. A few minutes later the Templehof railway yards, close to Berlin’s main airport, had been identified and bombed by a second raider. The crew of this aircraft reported that after their own attack they saw a great fire raging four or five miles to the north in the approximate positions of the Danzigerstrasse gasworks. . Centre of the City Other raiders concentrated the attack on military objectives in the centre of fhe city. Several tons of heavy-calibre high-explosive bombs and quantities of small fire-bombs were unloaded on the targets and at one stage of the raid other explosions and fires could be seen simultaneously in several parts of the target area. Direct hits with heavy bombs were also scored on a railway siding near Lehrte station, about a mile from Brandenburger Tor.

The German news agency in Berlin says that a few of the British planes which flew over northern Germany reached Berlin. “They bombed houses and a hospital,” continues the German agency. “Twelve people were injured. The remaining planes were driven off. Three were shot down.”