Hamburg Presents Grim Picture

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 224, 21 September 1943, Page 5

Hamburg Presents Grim Picture

ACCURACY CF R.A.F.’S BOMBING RUGBY, Sept. 19. Vast areas of Hamburg—the second city of the Reich—are still, 50 days after the last bombing by the R.A.F., deserted, gutted and blocked with debris from the blasted buildings. Blackened walls lean crazily over the streets in the east of the town, where every building is demolished or left a roofless burnt shell. Details have now been obtained from an R.A.F. expert by a press correspondent of the results of the four terrible R.A.F. night raids on July 24, 27, 29, and August 2, and the American day raid on July 25. These full reports of the bombing came from accurate scientific study of the aerial photographs which, in the case of Hamburg, could not be taken for several days after the raids because of the immense pall of smoke. Not only has the greater part of the town centre been destroyed, but the devastation extends throughout the dock area and widely east and west of both sides of Aussen Alster. More than 77 per cent, of the main built-up area is in absolute ruins. Huge white patches for fully 100 yards and, in some cases, 150 yards across where there is just nothing at all show where the 40001 b. and 80001 b. blockbusters fell. In the commercial part the fires swept with such intensity that the whole district is gutted and in Baaken Hafen every warehouse for one mile along one quay and every warehouse for two-thirds of a mile along another quay is utterly destroyed. Railways are also affected. The marshalling yards at Rotherb;*rgsort and the Hanover goods station suffered severely. The main passenger station at Altona station and five suburban stations are all damaged and the tracks are disrupted at many points. In addition, eight shipbuilding wnrlj are almost entirely destroyed, three oilworks are destroyed, rtx non-ferrous metal works, 20 iron and steel works, 11 commercial works, eight textile works, 21 foodstuffs plants, and 31 miscellaneous factories are destroyed or made almost worthless. Two submarines are very severely damaged, 17 merchant vessels and five floating docks are destroyed or sunk, while four slipways and 25 barges and lighters are wiped out. Germany’s submarine programme has suffered other severe losses.

The Air Ministry and U.S. Headquarters announce that United States Marauders bombed the airfield at Lille and R.A.F. Typhoons tombed the airfields at Mervillo (Northern France) and Woendsdercht (Holland) on Sunday. Later R.A.F. Mitchells attacked industrial targets near Bethune. R.A.F., Dominion and Allied fighters provided escort and cover for these operations and carried cut offensive sweeps. There were a number of combats with enemy fighters, two of which were destroyed by Marauders and four by fighters. Three fighters are missing.