RAID ON BERLIN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 24 November 1943, Page 2

RAID ON BERLIN

HEAVY DEVASTATION 10,000 CASUALTIES REPORTED - CITV A GREAT SEA OF FLAMES “ London, Nov. 23. Last night’s raid against Berlin was heavier than any experienced even by Hamburg. A report from Zurich states that all districts in Berlin, as well as suburbs, suffered damage. Devastation was particularly heavy in the centre of Berlin, especially near the Unter Den Linden, Alexanderplatz and Friedrichstrasse. The Stockholm newspaper “Aftgr Tidningen” gives a preliminary estimate of 10,000 killed and injured the raid. The Berlin correspondent of the newspaper “Aftonbladet” in a dispatetr to-day says: “We have had horrible hours. Berlin burned all night and great sections of dwelling quarters and buildings in the city are still burning today, covered with a great black cloud of smoke. Several embassies and legations in the diplomatic quarter were burned to the ground. ‘Aftonbladet’s’ Berlin office has been destroyed. ,A- • number of suburbs are badly damaged, including Siemenstadt where the great Siemens electrical works are situate?, also Spandau, Wilmersdorf. Neukoelp, Lichtenberg and Pankow. Many of these areas were hard hit in previous raids. Transport in many sections of Berlfn. has broken down and electrical and gas services are interrupted.” The Press Association correspondent at an R.A.F. bomber base said: “Berlin was a great sea of flames and explosions which returning planes saw for 70 miles through solid cloud. Clouds were so thick that the Germans were apparently unable to get a single night fighter off the ground, but ground defences threw up a great flak barrage.” The Press Association’s aviation correspondent estimates that with last i.ight’s raid, about 10,0U0 tons of bombs have been dropped on Berlin this year.