MOCK AIR-RAID AT BERLIN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 210, 21 September 1937, Page 7

MOCK AIR-RAID AT BERLIN

•Press Assn.-

Warning Sirens Scream at Breakfast Hour PEOPLE DASH TO 'SAFETY'

(Bs Telegraph -

Copyrig'at.)

(Received 21, 8.45 a.m.) BERLIN, Sept. 20. The most realistic air-raid manoeuvrea yet held in Europe have opened in Berlin. While the citizens were at breakfast sirens screamed out and warning planes appeared flymg low under a leaden sky. The din of anti-aircraft guns and tho crash of " bombs was deafening. The streets were emptied almost instantly as trams and buses stopped and the population daslied to the nearest refuge. Those people having breakfast in their homes were obliged to dasb down iuto the collars. Ambulauces rushed imaginary wounded to hospitals. The police took the names of those not complying with orders to take refuge. It was announced that the Ministry of Propaganda had been burnt down and most of the officials killed. The Hotel Kaiserhof opposite the Chancellery caught flre and the firo brigades were called to the spot while protectiou squads rushed up to fight the llames. The manoeuvres will continue every week. Every l'ght must be extinguished pach night and even hospitals must carry out operations behiud darkened windows. Although the Government stresses the importance of earrying on the norraal life of the city, restaurants and cineinas expect serious losses, as people are reluetant to grope their way in the pitch-black streets, in which they are prohibited even from striking a mateh The city is pitch-dark to-niglit, although theoretically, after the aay's air-raid, all buildings in Wilhelm Platz, including the Ministry of Propaganda and the Chancellery, are burning fierce-. Iy. The press, howover, claims that the capital is adequately pi'otected from air-raids and declares that archies and cliaser planes succeeded in almost neutralising the effects of the attack. Passeiigers in trams and busses tonight are unable to seo the faces of those opposite them. j-levere traffic jams have occurred in the sbopping centres.