BOMBED AREAS OF GERMANY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23964, 3 June 1943, Page 5

BOMBED AREAS OF GERMANY

PLAN FOR COMPLETE EVACUATION REPORTS FROM BERNE (N.Z Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, June 2. “The newspaper ‘Das Reich’ to-day gave full details of a plan for completely evacuating the air raid regions of Germany.” reports the Berne correspondent of the “Daily Express.” “Under the plan, not only people whose homes have been destroyed will be shifted, but practically the entire civilian population except armament workers. “Civilians in Westphalia will be gradually moved to Bavaria. Berliners will be sent to Pomerania, East Prussia. and Brandenburg. "News has also been received of preparations, already nearly complete, for evacuating all school children from Duisburg. Eighteen thousand children have left Hamburg. “The German press comments frankly on the effect of the recent Royal Air Force raids on Dortmund. The newspaper ‘Westfaelische Zcitung’ states; ‘We are constantly coming up against the problem of morale. What matters now is how the population is bearing the almost unbearable strain. The doubter and weakling start rumours and cannot distinguish what is important from what is not. Their morale is bad because they have no hardness or pride. Our task is to watch them.'” The Berne correspondent of the British United Press says that a dreary picture is given by the “Essener National Zeitung” of the total official and public apathy in Essen. The newspaper emphasises the need for energetic measures. It says: “Married couples and unmarried men and women and others are living together in schoolrooms and halls because of the shortage of proper living quarters. After such catastrophes as we have experienced camps are necessary for collecting people requiring new accommodation. In our town, however, there are still a number of emergency quarters in which the .inmates remain indefinitely.” A Berlin message, quoted by the Exchange Telegraph Agency’s Zurich correspondent, says that the evacuation problem caused by the incessant Royal Air Force raids has made necessary the appointment of a special administration board. It has also become necessary to forbid voluntary evacuation.

GERMAN RAIDS ON BRITAIN

FIVE FOCKE WULFS DESTROYED ATTACKS ON COAST AND LONDON AREA (80. W.) RUGBY, June 1. The Air Ministry says that Typhoon fighters destroyed five of about a dozen Focke Wulf 190 fighter-bombers which attacked a town on the southeast coast of England in daylight today. Anti-aircraft fire accounted for a sixth raider The raiders crossed the coast so low over the water that the fighter pilots had to fly through spray to reach them. They took the enemy completely by surprise, and one pilot actually joined in the enemy formation and flew out to sea with it. He said; “There were enemy aeroplanes 200 yards away on either side of me. I could see the pilots sitting unaware of my identity and looking quite comfortable. I got through to the leader and gave him a squirt and he went down. I went on through the splash of water he made, and when I was about 20 miles out to sea I got a second victim. There was no real fight. The Huns just did not know who we were until it was too late.” The Royal Air Force pilots, when they were eventually detected, were shot at. but they were not hit. The Germans in this attack dropped bombs throughout the town, damaging a largo number of houses, but it is believed that there were not many casualties One of two enemy raiders which crossed the south coast and flew into the London area early this morning found the baVrage too hot. It dropped its bombs on a suburban district and fled. Three houses were demolished and six people were killed, others being sent to hospital. The other raider was slightly more daring. It penetrated into London and dropped bombs. Four people were killed and three were injured when a shelter was hit. A bomb set fire to a gas main, but the flames were quickly put out. Firemen and civil defence workers rescued several people from the wreckage of houses. A married woman was found dead in one house lying over her son. aged three, who was still alive. Her daughter was found seriously injured in another room. Norwegian and Canadian fighters shared in the destruction of five enemy aircraft during a sweep to-day over northern France, says the Air Ministry. Earlier in the day five enemy supply vessels were damaged when Typhoon fighters attacked a convoy off the Dutch coast. One aircraft is missing.