RAIDS ON BERLIN

Grey River Argus, 20 January 1943, Page 5

RAIDS ON BERLIN

22 Bombers Missing DESTRUCTIVE FIRES CAUSED [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, Jan. 18. Berlin was raided by the Royal air Force again last night, for the second night running. The main German radio went off the air soon after 7 p.m. and was followed by other stations in Germany and in France, Denmark and other occupied countries, which were shut down for several hours. The Air Ministry states: Berlin was again attacked by a strong force of our heavy bombers last night. A great load of bombs were dropped and by the end of the attack large fires were burning. Over the target there was some cloud but most of the way cur bombers flew in bright moonlight. There were many combats with enemy lighters, one of which was destroyed. Twenty-two of our combers are missing. The Berlin radio claims that as the result of the interceptions, only a few nlanes reached the city, when the R.A.F. heavy bombers again raided Berlin last night, but admits that fires caused heavy damage. Three people were killed and twenty injured. Spitfires were out over Northern France and the Low Countr.es yesterday. attacking railway targets and aerodromes, according to an official communique. They were intercepted by enemy fighters, live of which were shot down. Four Royal Air Force machines are missing. Aircraft of the Fighter Command on intruder patrols attacked enemy transport targets in France, Belgium and Holland. Berlin Damage LIKE THAT OF COLOGNE. (Rec. 12.50.) LONDON, Jan. 19. Press despatches reaching Stockholm from Berlin disclose that Berlin after the two latest Royal Air Force raids presents almost the same spectacle of destruction as Cologne, Bremen, Emden and Essen did after their raids. These raids are a sad blow to Berliners, who have been consoling themselves for months with a rumour that there was a secret agreement between Germany and Britain not to bomb each ther’s capital.

FURTHER R.A.F. NIGHT RAID. ' SOUTH GERMANY OR ITALY. (Rec. 12.40.) LONDON, Jan. 19. There were air raid alerts at Basle, Berne and Zurich, in Switzerland, last night at 11.15 o’clock. These indicated that the Royal Air Force was attacking either Southern Germany or Italy. ' N.Z.. AIRMEN HIT~ LOCOMOTIVE. (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 9.10) LONDON, Jan. 18. When attacking German transport in France, two New Zealand Spitfire airmen, Flying Oflicer M. R. D. Hume, of Wellington, and Sergeant L. S, M. White ,of Gore, dived on a goods train near Aiiglesqueville, they hit the boiler of one engine with a 1 cannon shell.