BERLIN HEAVILY RAIDED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 255, 25 September 1940, Page 7

BERLIN HEAVILY RAIDED

BIGGEST ATTACK OF WAR

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE INFLICTED

(United Press Association.—Copyright.—liec. 9.25 a.m.) ' - ' : LONDON, Sept. 24

Berlin suffered its most serious attack last night, British bombs causing two large fires. Reports from neutral sources indicate that the- British bombers arrived in waves arid apparently set fire to at least two warehouses or factories.

Anti-aircraft fragments peppered Berlin throughout the raid.' The authorities state that mostly incendiary bombs Tvere dropped and most of the fires were extinguished.

An Air Ministry communique says that throughout last night strong bomber forces of the .It.A.E. delivered heavy attacks on military objectives in and around .Berlin. IMPORTANT TARGETS HIT. .

This attack was on a much larger scale than any yet carried 'out, and preliminary reports show that extensive damage was done. Among the targets selected by our aircraft and heflvily bombed were the Rangsdorf railway station and several railway yards including that at Grumwald,' the west tower of the Wimersdorf electric power station, the gasworks at Danzinstrasse, and Neukoln, factories at Charlottenburg and Spandau, including the Brandenburg 'motor works, and other objectives. During the night operations over the Channel the ports in enemy occupation were vigorously attacked. Three of our aircraft have not returned. The German ! anti-aircraft batteries endeavoured to beat off wave after wave of bombers, but the fury of the methodical attack did not abate. CRASH OF BOMBS.

The Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says British planes circled the city for over three hours last night, keeping Berliners from their beds for the longest period since the outbreak of the war. The crash of bombs was heard in the central district, and guns- of various sizes put up the fiercest barrage yet heard. The terrific noise startled those in shelters throughout the city. A fire lit the sky in an industrial district north-west of the city.

The attacking planes dived low, coming within the range' of light antiaircraft guns. Tracer shells poured into the sky for three hours, but apparently no raiders were disabled. The German News Agency announced that several British planes last night flew over the northern and eastern suburbs of Berlin, dropping ffiombs and deliberately attacking residential quarters. Dwellings were damaged and several civilians were lulled and injured. No military damage resulted. SUNDAY’S BIG RAIDS.

An Air Ministry bulletin on the air raids on Sunday night stated that high-explosive bombs on the Lauta aluminium works started big fires. Bombs also hit a railway and four fires occurred at the Torgau rail junction, gutting a goods shed. The Germans have greatly strengthened the defences at ' the invasion ports, and their gunfire followed the bombers two miles out to sea. Fires lit up the whole eoast from Calais to Flushing like carnival illuminations. Bombs on a big ammunition d-ump at Ostend caused a terrific explosion, and others fell on the railway station and the main docks. The railway to Le Havre was' extensively damaged and docks and ships were set on fire. Many tons of highexplosive bombs and hundreds of incendiaries fell over the harbour, and one ship blew up sky-high. It was the same story in _ the other ports. One raider blew up nine barges which were drawn up on a beach five miles from Ostend.