BERLIN STUNNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24747, 22 November 1943, Page 3

BERLIN STUNNED

MASSIVE AIR RAID GREAT LOSS OF LIFE LTJDWIGSHAFEN ATTACK (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 20 All reports from neutral sources indicate that Berlin is still stunned by the massiveness of Thursday night's air raid. Messages from Switzerland received in Stockholm state that the great weight of "blockbusters" dropped caused an enormous loss of lite and destruction. Traffic in Berlin is completely paralysed.

Other heavy bombers almost simultaneously raided Ludwigshafen, a centre of analine dye and chemical works on the River Rhine opposite Mannheim. The onslaught on the two targets was made by the largest force of heavy bombers yet despatched against Germany.

It is believed that the R.A.F. dropped over 2500 tons of bombs on the two cities. The previous heaviest bomb-load dropped on Germany in one night, according to the available figures, was 2300 tons against Hamburg on July 27. Over 350 Great Bombs "Over 350 bombs, each weighing 40001b., fell on Berlin on Thursday night." says the Air Ministry news service. "By making major attacks on two great industrial cfties on the same night, the Bomber Command set a new record, and by attacking targets as tar afield as Berlin and the Upper Rhineland imposed a great strain on the air defence of Germany. "An all-Lancaster force, including Australian and Canadian squadrons, attacked Berlin in difficult weather. All the way from the Dutch coast to the target clouds covered much of the "round.

"The bombing was strictly on the target. Lit by indicators, fires glowed over a wide area and a series of violent explosives burst through the clouds, even at moments when the flashes ?f 40001b. bombs were hidden. Only occasionally. when the clouds shifted, could fires be seen. Attack Lasts Half an Hour "Beginning just before 9 p.m., the attack lasted half an hour. The weather made it difficult for the enemy to deploy a large force of night fighters, and many crews reported no sign of fighters. Others had brief, inconclusive encounters. Searchlights were blocked by clouds and the 'flak,' while intense, was mostly in crude barrage form." On the way back every town the bombers passed over seemed to have been roused by news of the attack on Berlin. One pilot said the whole of Germany seemed to he alive with gun flashes. It was difficult flying: weather, a temperature of minus 41 degrees being recorded above the clouds. Icing sometimes affected the gun turrets and clouded the windows of the planes. The weather was much clearer over the Rhineland when the Ludwigshafen area was bombed by a string force of Halifax and Stirling planes and a small number of Lancasters. There was no cloud over the target, although the sky became overcast toward the end of the raid. Buildings on both sides of the Rhine were identified, and well-concen-trated fires, which sent up great volumes of smoke, were reporter! New Zealand Squadron

Searchlights were ineffective,, hut a tremendous number were switched on. and anti-aircraft fire came up over the target. Iho weather gave little protection against fighters and the main force of bombers had to battle their way through to the target.

1 lie No 75 (New Zealand) Stirling Squadron took part without loss in the raid against Ludwigshafen. One aircraft, was captained by Wing-Commander IL 1). Max. D.F.C., of Nelson, the squadron's commanding officer.

The Berlin correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper Aftonbladet says ihe hoinbers which raided Berlin struck mainly against the outskirts of the city, where a considerable number of war factories are concentrated. A German High Command communique states: "Ktieniv bombers raided several places in Western and Northern Germany, including Berlin. I'airly heavy damage is reported from .Mannheim." BOMBS ON LONDON LONDON, Nov. 21 Enemy raiders were over London and parts of south-east England last night. They dropped bombs in one London district and damaged houses. Some people were killed and others injured. Rescue workers were still digging in the wreckage well after midnight for people believed to have been trapped. Two' of the raiders were destroyed. PALESTINE VIOLENCE BRITISH OFFICE ON FIRE (Recti. 12.15 a.m.) JERUSALEM, Nov. 21 A crowd set fire to the British District. Office at Telaviv. Thirty were injured in demonstrations throughout the day. BRITISH WAR SAVINGS LONDON, Nov. 21 Four years of war savings in Britain are completed to-day. In that time the people have lent over £6,500,000,000 to the State, and well over one-third of this has come from small savings.