MILAN AGAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25306, 17 August 1943, Page 3

MILAN AGAIN

THIRD HEAVY RAID BOMBERS FROM BRITAIN (Rec. 1 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 16. Royal Air Force bombers flew from Britain again last night to bomb objectives in Milan for the third time in four nights. The attack was pressed home in bright moonlight, and an Italian communique admits that further heavy damage was done. While this operation was in progress Mosquito aircraft made another of their deep penetrations into Germany itself, objectives in Berlin again being bombed. Fighter aircraft carried out sweeps over France and the Low Countries. The night’s operations cost the R.A.F. ten bombers and two fighters. The Swiss radio reports that the raiders attacked Milan in two waves. The first wave of bombers was over the city until about 1 a.m. After an interval of 15 minutes the second wave took up the attack until 1.20 a.m., with still greater violence. Both attacks extended to the suburbs and also to an area some distance from the city. Fires were visible over a great disThe British United Press correspondent on the Italian frontier says that Marshal Badoglio has issued a decree forbidding further evacuation of Milan. The Rome radio says Milan was unrecognisable after the R.A.F. raid on Saturday night, and the number of casualties is feared to be high. The royal palace is in flames. The raid completely shattered the people’s morale, reports the Milan correspondent of the Swiss newspaper Dietat. Thousands are trying to leave the city, disorganising all transport. All the city’s public services are paralysed, and no trains or taxis are running. The main station is so badly damaged that trains are unable to leave or arrive: The centre of the city is one gigantic ruin. There are fires everywhere, with huge clouds of smoke, and always new explosions. Reuter’s Zurich correspondent states that a steady stream of refugees from the stricken city is arriving on the Swiss frontier via Como. There are indescribable scenes at the frontier, and it is impossible to accommodate and feed all the refugees.