BERLIN HARD HIT IN BIGGEST

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 228, 26 September 1940, Page 7

BERLIN HARD HIT IN BIGGEST

Extensive Fires Follow Bombing of Selected Targets Gasworks and Power Stations United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON, September 24. Berlin suffered its most serious air attack of the war on Monday night. Many large fires were started. “Throughout Monday night,” says a British Air Ministry communique, ‘‘strong bomber forces of the R.A.F. delivered heavy attacks on military objectives in and around Berlin. This attack was on a much larger scale than any yet carried out, and preliminary reports show that extensive damage was done. “Among the targets selected by our aircraft and heavily bombed were the Bangsdorf railway station and several railway yards, including that at Grumewald, the west tower of the .Wimersdorf electric-power station, the gasworks at Danzigerstrasse and Neukoln, factories at Charlottenburg and Spandau, including the Brandenburg motor works, and other objcctir es. “During the night operations over the Channel ports in enemy occupation were vigorously attacked. Three of our aircraft have not returned.”

According to a British Air Ministry bulletin, the RAF. attacks on Berlin were carefully planned and lasted several hours. How well the general scheme worked out may be judged by the comments of the commanding officer of one large station, who said: “My aircraft went out at regular intervals end came back as regularly, just like well-organised trains.”

Target Left In Flames# The Friedrichsfeld power station was attacked, and the Wilmersdorf power station was left ablaze. At the Danzigerstrasse gasworks, the bombing caused a violent explosion, and the target was left burning furiously. This was one of the night's most satisfying spectacles. Explosions—seen 23 miles awaywrecked parts of the Neukoln gasworks. At another gasworks at Charlottenburg, a large building was quickly gutted by fire and many other fires caused by the British aircraft were observed. The railway yards were seen to be hit, and the Tempelhof aerodrome was bombed. Siemens works, where a large proportion of the electrical equipment for hydrogenation plant is produced, received a direct hit. Here, a red oblongshaped fire was started which spread rapidly. No Sleep for Berlin. The Berlin correspondent of the Brit ish Associated Press says that British planes circled the city for over three hours, keeping Berliners from theii beds for the longest period since the outbreak of war. The crash of bomb? was heard in the central district. Gun? of various sizes put up the fiercest barrage yet heard, and the terrific noise startled people in the shelters throughout the city. A fire lit the sky in the industrial district north-west of the city. The attacking planes dived low coming within range of the light antiaircraft guns. Tracer shells poured into the sky for three hours, but apparently no raiders were disabled.

The west power station and the power stations at Wilmersdorf, Charlottenburg, Klingenberg, and Moabit, all within the Berlin area, each came in for a steady hammering. Many fires were seen to break out. One aircraft alone started five large fires which were visible 80 miles away. Another reported that a power station was alight at four different points. At Klingenberg and Wilmersdorf, it was the same story of bombs bursting on power stations and flames leaping high. Gasworks Hit Fair and Square One pilot attacking a large gasworks saw his bomb burst among the buildings. Other pilots attacking the same target later left a string of smallish fires in the target area. One of them said: “We must have hit this gasworks fair and square. Our bombs started another line of fires, and then a fire in the middle of the target caused a gigantic explosion.” A rail junction to the east of the west power station also was bombed. In an attack on the B.M.W. aeroengine works, many bombs were dropped in the target area, and shortly afterwards numerous fires broke out Siemen’s cable works also was set on fixe. Attacks Last Several Hours. Some idea of the wearing tactics employed over Berlin may be gauged from the fact that, after the first bombs had been dropped shortly before 11 p.m., the bombing continued at intervals of an average of about 4J minutes for several hours.

Reports from neutrai sources indicate that the British bombers arrived over Berlin in waves and apparently set fire to at least two warehouses or factories Fragments of anti-aircraft shells peppered Berlin throughout the raid.

An American commentator on the German radio, dealing with the raid, said that single planes and small formations never seemed to stop coming. They dived to below 1000 feet.

Throughout those hours, British aircraft were constantly over the city in relays. Some of ihem remained above their targets for anything up to 50 minutes, despite unfavourable weather conditions, so as to aim their bombs with precision.

Another commentator said that the raid was a kind of “rolling attack” and that a block of buildings was razed.

The German authorities state that most of the bombs dropped were incendiaries and that most of the fires were extinguished.

The heaviest attacks fell upon numerous predetermined targets a railway yards near the PotsdamerLehrte railway station, the west electric-power station, and the Moabit and Klingenberg power stations. Ground mist interfered with accurate observation of the results, but severe fires were started at all four points. One aircraft reported eight or nine explosions in the railway sidings after its bombs had been dropped, followed by a very large fire in the railway buildings which could still be seen 23 minutes after the aircraft had left the area. Power Stations Heavily Hit. The three power stations took the brunt of this series of attacks. One aircraft started a large fire at the west power station which was but one of many. At Klingenberg, a considerable fire was already burning when one aircraft arrived, ly the glow of this fire, sticks of bomb'* were dropped right across the target Five big fires were started by cn* aircraft at the Moabit power station, enabling the target to be clearly identified by the following aircraft. Three bombs from one aircraft caused more fires and touched off explosive material, which blew up in a series of vivid flashes. These fires at Moabit were visible 80 miles wmj. Other Berlin targets, mostly power stations and gasworks, received special attention. At the Charlottenburg power stenon, four big fires v.ere observed from one aircraft as it came away.

The German news agency to-day announced: “Several British planes on Monday night flew over the northern and eastern suburbs of Berlin, dropping bombs and deliberately attacking residential quarters. Dwellings were damaged and several civilians killed and injured. No military damage was done.” It is officially stated in Berlin that the raid resulted in 11 persons being killed and 14 wounded. Invasion Ports Battered. Simultaneously, R.A.F. bombers resumed the battering of the German invasion ports. German anti-aircraft batteries endeavoured to beat off wave after wave of bombers, but the fury of the methodical raid did not abate. The weather was fine In the Straits of Dover, and the sea calm. A gentle westerly wind was blowing, and there was a slight mist.

The Germans have greatly strengthened their defences the invasion ports, and shells fallowed R.A.F. bombers two miles out to sea.

Fires lit up the whole coast from Calais to Flushing like carnival illuminations. Bombs dropped on a big ammunition dump at Ostend caused a terrific explosion. They also fell on the railway station.

The main docks and the railway to Le Havre were extensively damaged and the docks and ships set on fire. Many tons of high-explosive bombs and hundreds of incendiaries fell over the harbour, and one ship blew up skyhigh.

It was the same story In other ports. One raider blew up nine barges drawn up on the beach five miles from Ostend.