GREAT DESTRUCTION

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

GREAT DESTRUCTION

GENERAL FLIGHT FROM CITY LONDON, Aug. 15.

The British United Press correspondent on the Italian frontier says that there is unbelievable chaos in Milan. Evacuation of the city has now become a general flight. Thousands of families are camping in the open air outside the city. It is now confirmed that the main railway station and marshalling yards at Milan were destroyed in the R.A.F. raid on Thursday. Over Milan last night aircraft of the Bomber. Command—all Lancasters —divided and made two separate, though simultaneous, attacks. One was on the Breda armament works, the Italian equivalent of Krupps, in the San Giovanni district, on the outskirts of the town. The huge factory was bombed in bright moonlight and clear weather. The rest of the force followed up the attack of two nights before, when over 1000 tons of bombs were dropped on industries and railways nearer the centre of the town. A Rapid Attack The whole operation was another of the Bomber Command’s ultra-rapid attacks at long range. After flying over 800 miles, all the crews kept the appointment so punctually that the whole- bomb load was down on the two targets in 22 minutes. Sticks of heavy bombs went right across the

Breda works—which were defended by heavy guns round the area and light flak in the factory itself—and big fires soon got going. . , , , Very early in the attack it looked as though an oil tank had caught fir.. Like Krupps, the Breda works produce locomotives and rolling stock, as well as arms. Bombs, shells, mach'np guns, aircraft components, armoured fighting vehicles, electrical machinerj boilers, steel' stampings, and forgings are among its products. . The crews attacking the industrial areas nearer the centre of Milan sav; flares directly over the Breda works and fires below the flares. Their own attack developed very quickly. In a few minutes smoke from large and well-concentrated fires had risen 6000 feet. The defences, though by no means up to German standard. rr» stronger than they were two nights before. The fires were still burning m Milan yesterday when reconnaissance aircraft were over the city. From the first inspection of air photographs taken it is already known that many very important war factories were hit in the 1000-ton attack on August 12. The Isotta Franchini and the Innocenti aero-engine works were damaged, and there was particularly severe damage to the Alfa Romeo aero-engine works. Other damaged plants include the Vianervese steel foundry, making steel turrets and shells, the Bianchi car and lorry works, and several metal ivo There was new damage to the central railway station and Port Nuovr station.

Clamouring for Peace Milan, according to reports from Italy, has met the fate of Hamburg as the result of last night’s raid. The British United Press correspondent on the Italian frontier says that no quarter of the city, with the exception of ihe Portaticino area, remains, intact. The crowds this morning, in spite of the arrival of troops, clamoured for peace in the strests of the city. The correspondent says that, following the raid, British parachutists were observed near Como, 20 miles north of Milan. Two parachutists, who were armed with automatic weapons and explosives, were captured riding bicycles. Rome radio said the raid last night was mainly, directed against southwest Milan. Monuments and residential areas were hit, and the right wing of the palace was set >n fire. To-day’s Italian communique states that numerous buildings collapsed and many fires were started. The Allies also bombed various localities in the Catanzaro area.