PARTICULARS OF THE RAIDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1917, Page 2

PARTICULARS OF THE RAIDS.

Considsrabla Damage. * Another Raid Fails. [BEUTEE’S SERVICE, —COPYRIGHT.! (Received May 28, at 930 a.m.) London, March 27 la fine weather, the invader.- flew at a gnat height, screened by a bank of cion dp. Scarcely any part of the town esc ped.

At least sixty high, explosive bomba were dropped. The greatest damage was done to the crowded shopping cantre. The bodies and limbs of victims, with the carcasas of horses, were lying about. Several prominent residents are included its the death poll.

The invaders also visited three neighbouring towns, but little damage was done, though a few persons were

injored. Darmg a break in the clouds, the raiders were seen Sorb a few seconds, with the British airmen pursuing them ard firing, but it is belisv d they got clear of the coast lina with, out loss.

Five seaplanes attempted to raid another point. The Britishers went in pursuit, but the enemy beaded across the Chanml. No naval or military damage was done.

HORRIBLE DETAILS. Shocking Damage. (Received May 28, at 12.45 p.m.) London, May 27 . The raiders attacked in two lines, with scouting machines ahead, both gronps flying with audacious precision. The explosions at first wit,e isolated, but be'eame more frequent as the machines got more fairly overhead. The bombs were not incendiary ones. The din was terrific.

The raiders turned, flying seaward. They dropped down bombs over an area of 200 yards. The fin# burst was over one street, as if the whole cargo were released. Here, the sight was heartrendering, women and children lying dead, and others screaming in agony. Besides other places, a number of shops crosded with custooiers, were struck. The casualties amerng the customers and people in the adj fining streets was very heavy, An aerial torpido pbreed several floors of a large hotel before exploding without killing anjone. In one case a fireman took the fir* alarm and subsequently learned that his wife, mother and children were burned in the wreckage.

Unsuspecting Victims. (United Service.—Copyright.), London, March 27 In one coastal town sixty persons were killed and 83 injured, The people flocked into the streets watching the arrival of the raiders 15,000 feet overhead, not suspecting danger till a shower of bomba fell in their midst, turning the street into a shambles geene. The greatest death roll was in a butchers shop, whioh collapsed, burying a heap of struggling shrieking victims. In gome places whole rows of houses collapsed like packs of cards. The London press urges instant reprisals.