BERLIN TAKING IT

Grey River Argus, 30 November 1943, Page 5

BERLIN TAKING IT

NO PANIC IN BLITZ Half Million Homeless FIRES AT WEEK-END [Aust, w N.Z. Press Assn.l (Rec. 7.30) LONDON, Nov. 28. The “Daily Express” Stockholm correspondent says: Berlin is not broken yet. That seems to be the lesson of all of the week-end news' which came into Stockholm, not only from [heavily censored (Berlin correspondents, but. also from all responsible travellers and diplomats. The city has been shattered; the Berliners are living from hand to mouth, and Air Chief Marshal Harris’ “section by section” bombing has been carried out with an accuracy which amazes everyone. But. all the same, the life of the German capital goes on. Berlin still remains a war centre of strategic importance. The plain fact seems to be that many observers who know Berlin well were wrong when they prophesied that the Berliners could never stand up to real air attacks, on the . ground that they were excessively nervy during false alarms in the early •part of the war. Now that the real thing has come, and that the period of waiting is over, the Berliners have not panicked after all, although thousands are still trying to get out of the city as quickly as possible. Moreover, the authorities have decided to let essential portions of the Government and the Administration remain in Berlin. The authorities of Berlin are concentrating on getting some sort of order restored to the city, and, after the first feeling of shock from the raids, they seem to be getting .a certain grip on the situation. One sign of this is an increasing care with which press correspondents are now being forced to write despatches, so that to-day no more news of the exact location of bomb damage came out from correspondents. On Saturday the city was still burning. A traveller to Stockholm said he saw groups of people in the streets praying and singing hymns. Stockholm “AllehanUa’s” Berlin correspondent stated: Half a million Berlin people were rendered homeless. The thoroughfares of Tauenzien Strasse and Kurfuerstendamm were completely ruined. Westkreutz station was badly damaged. Huge fires broWe out in the Charlottenburg area. He added: “Three of our four more such bombings and no Berlin will be left.” Travellers .arriving at Malmo from Berlin said that Berliners were in a trance. A single thought possessed everyone-—how to get out of Berlin. One' traveller said the important industrial districts of Spandau and Siemenstadt were wrecked. One hundred thousand war ■ workers have so far left the capital, despite the order prohibiting war workers leaving the c ’ty. , . The Stockholm “Afton Tidningen’s” Berlin correspondent reports that. Friday’s attack was concentrated on the central and western districts of the city. The SiemensSchuckert electrical works were badly damaged. Eric Nhyovd, Swedish representative of Siemen’s, said the entire district around the Mittellstrasse was destroyed. Stettiner station was wiped out. The Reich Chancellery was the only building remaining in the Wilhelmstrasse. Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Har'ris, chieL of the Bomber Command, in a message to Workers in Royal Ordnance factories in Britain, said: “In eight davs Berlin has used up more than 6000 tons of high explosives anfl incendiary bombs. No bombs dropped anywhere could have had more effect; no weapon used elsewhere or in any other way could do more to shorten the war. The Bomber Command has worked for more than four years to achieve ability to do what has been done last week. It has been a hard, long struggle. Now, when we are right on top of the enemy, and have shown what we can do to his capital city, I ask you to put as much effort into this race as the crews themselves. As you .make and fill the bombs, remember you dnd the crews of the , Bomber Command have starteda 'new Reichstag fire, which this time, •vill -jut the Nazis out ot the race. The only promise I can hold out io Germany, is that our blows will increase in weight and grow more deadly m effect until the war power of Germany is broken and smashed. It is for them to decide. Let them make the choice.”. SHORTAGE OF, WATER. (Rec. 7.50.) LONDON. Nov. 28. The Stockholm “Afton Tidningen’s” Berlin correspondent says: Berliners are lining up in long queues at fire hydrants to get a small ration of water. It is estimated that there are one million Berliners living in cellars. A lack of foodstuffs has become apparent. The “Afton TiCiningen” quotes reports that a total evacuation of Berlin has been recommended, owing to the water shortage. EXTRA RATIONS FOR BERLINERS (Rec. 1.10) LONDON, Nov. 29. The British United Press Stockholm correspondent reports: German troops, all of whom wore; iron crosses paraded in the bombed areas of Berlin. It is announced that the Berliners will receive extra coffee, fish, condensed milk and fruit. SUNDAY NIGHT RAID. (Rec. 11.40). LONDON, Nov. 29. The Air Ministry, in a communique, stated on Sunday night Mosquito bombers attacked objectives in West Germany. Mines were laid in enemy waters. None of our ’planes is missing. * ~