BERLIN RAID

Grey River Argus, 31 March 1943, Page 5

BERLIN RAID

THOUSANDS HOMELESS Ruins Worse Than London's [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] I LONDON, March 29. Fires started during the R.A.F.’s raid on Berlin on the night of March 27 were still burning fiercely on the following day says a message received from Stockholm. A considerable area was completel/v devastated. Thousands of women and children yesterday morning crowded railway stations hoping to get a train for southern Germany. Few trains were available and only a small number of people were 1 able to leave. “Afton Bladet” reported that outlying residential sections of Berlin were considerably damaged The Berlin radio’s own admissions and reports received in Sweden support bombing crews’ descriptions of the damage, _ especially in districts where many great war industries are situated. 1 It is stated in London that there is little doubt . that Berlin’s bombed blasted and fire-scorched ruins are now more terrible than those of London. There was cloud for most of the 600 miles’ journev, but the sky was clear over the German capital, on which bombs were dropped from 11 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. Large fires.were left burning over a wide area. Berlin was still recovering from the heavy raid bn March 1, when ,700 buildings were destroyed and fires burned for three days.

Berlin Again Visited CIVILIAN CASUALTIES (Rec. 12.35.) LONDON, March 30. The Berlin radio says that British planes were over Western and Northern Germany last night. High plosives and incendiaries dropped m some localities including Berbu caused civilian casualties. HEAVY ATTACK ON ST. NAZAIRE. LONDON, March 29. Last night the Royal Air Force Bomber Command made a heavy and concentrated attack on the German submarine base at St. Nazaire Two bombers are missing. The pilot of a reconnaissance, aircraft over St. Nazaire early this morning reported that great columns of smoke from the U-boat base were reaching 15,000 feet. The weather during last night’s raid was excellent and the fires were so bright that aircraft flying very high could see other aircraft as far as 2000 yards away. The attack was remarkably concentrated. Flak was onlv slight and there were very few searchlights. HOLLAND AND FRANCE RAIDED. RUGBY, March 29 The Air Ministry says that during the day Venturas of the Bomber Command, with fighter- escort, attacked shipping at Rotterdam, industrial objectives in Holland and railway yards at Abbeville. None of our aircraft is missing.