REPRISAL RAID

Grey River Argus, 3 June 1942, Page 5

REPRISAL RAID

ON ENGLISH CITY Severe Casualties [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Aim.) LONDON, June 1. Enemy aircraft raided the cathedral city of Canterbury on Sunday ni About 60 enemy aeroplanes carried out the attack. Fires were started and there were a number of casualties. . . A German communique states. As a reprisal for the terror raid on Cologne, strong Luftwaffe formations attacked the bishopric seat of Canterbury, with a thousand high-explo-sive and fire bombs, causing large fires. Three raiders were destroyed during the night, one over Britain and two over their own bases. A later report said: A heavy death roll resulted, when about 2o German bombers raided Canterbury last night. Fire extensively damaged the shopping centre. It is believed that Canterbury Cathedral was one of the Luftwaffe’s objectives. No information is at present available whether the cathedral was damaged. It is estimated that a total of 50 ’planes were over Britain last night. It is not doubted that the cathedral was one of the enemy’s targets, but it is not proposed to help the enemy by saying whether it was hit. It is believed in London it is only by, this type of raid on nearby objectives of value, but not of military importance, that the Luftwaffe can make “reprisals,” without further denuding the Axis on the eastern front of bombers. Apparently, even after the British reaction to York, Norwich, Exeter and Bath, the Germans are still under the delusion that their attacks on historical monuments may have a deterrent effect on the R.A.F. programme.