AIR RAID ON PARIS

Southland Times, Issue 24144, 5 June 1940, Page 7

AIR RAID ON PARIS

45 PERSONS ARE KILLED EIGHT SCHOOLS HIT BY BOMBS AMERICAN AMBASSADOR ESCAPES (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) PARIS, June 3. Paris had its first large scale air raid during the war when, according to an official announcement, 1050 bombs falling over an area nine miles wide killed 45 persons and injured 149. In the city itself eight were killed and 54 injured and in the suburbs, 37 were killed and 95 injured. Eighty-three bombs fell in Paris itself. Between 240 and 300 German aeroplanes participated. Six buildings were destroyed or severely damaged in Paris and 91 in the outskirts. The buildings hit included eight schools. It is officially stated that 10 children were killed and 18 injured at one school. Thirteen fires were stai’ted in Paris and 48 in the suburbs. The raiders, coming in waves of 25, apparently aimed at aerodromes and other objectives around Paris, but most of the bombs fell in the western districts far from military targets. One fell on a seven-story block of flats, killing two persons. Another reduced a district post office to a heap of rubble. The departing bombers apparently dumped their spare bombs in the western and northern suburbs at random. FIGHTERS IN ACTION

Fighters went up instantly and antiaircraft guns blazed into action. The total German losses cannot yet be revealed, but the spokesman said: “We got plenty.” Nobody taking refuge in the shelters was hurt. Those who suffered casualties were the victims of their own temerity through not sheltering or at least not going to the lowest floors of the buildings. A bomb tore through an eight-story building to the second floor. Most Parisians obeyed the alarm instantly and school children marched in an orderly manner to the shelters. Anger was evident everywhere, but there was no panic. The raiders caught Paris after lunch when squadrons of. German aei-oplanes circled the city. Explosions on the outskirts shook windows in the centre of the city. Red Cross and police cars dashed through the streets. Scores of French fighters took off and engaged in combats high over Paris. Anti-aircraft guns also went into action. The raiders are reported to have dropped ■>. considerable number of high explosive and incendiary bombs and also to have used whistling bombs. Some of them flew at a height of 30,000 feet, sacrificing accuracy for safety from the anti-aircraft guns. The all clear signal was given at 2.18 p.m. The French radio announced that for strategic reasons it was impossible to give the result of the efficacious defence by the fighters and anti-aircraft batteries during the raid or the nature of the French reply. BOMBS INTERRUPT LUNCH M. Laurent Eynac, French Air Minister, was entertaining the American Ambassador, Mr W. C. Bullitt, and others to lunch when a bomb crashed through the ceiling and fell within 10 feet of Mr Bullitt, who was unhurt. Ten minutes after the last explosion, municipal lorries appeared and patched the holes in the streets. The whole neighbourhood went into action to repair the damage. Soldiers took charge of the traffic and the wounded. Several bombs fell in the Le Bourget region. The bombs broke 1000 windows, affecting buildings several blocks away. Mr Bullitt and the others with him were showered with flying glass. Every window in the room where they were lunching was shattered. The German spokesman stated that the German bombers in the afternoon attacked the Paris aerodrome at Issyles-Moulinaux and other aerodromes and establishments of the French Air Force in the environs of Paris. The Paris radio in its German language transmission announced that Nazi cities will take the consequences of yesterday’s bombings.