RELAYS OF PLANES

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

RELAYS OF PLANES

OVER GERMAN CAPITAL.

GOOD MARKSMANSHIP

(United Press Association—Copyiight.) (Rec. ilka.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 24. Some idea of the wearing tactics employed over Berlin last night by the It.A,lf. may be gauged from the fact that after the first bombs were dropped shortly before 11 p.m.. the bombing continued on an average of about four and a half minutes’ intervals for several hours.

Throughout those hours British aircraft were constantly over the city in relays. Some of them remained above the targets for anything up to. 50 minutes despite unfavourable weather conditions so as to aim their bombs with precision. The heaviest attacks fell upon numerous pre-determined targets—the railway yards near the Potsdamer-Lehrte Railway Station, the West electric power station, and the Moabit and Klingenberg power stations, A ground mist interfered with accurate observation of the results, but severe fires were started at all four points. One aircraft reported eight or nine explosions in railway sidings after bombs had been dropped, followed by a very large fire in the railway buildings, which was still seen 23 minutes, after the aircraft left the area.

FIRES IN POWER STATIONS. The three power stations took the brunt of this series of attacks. One aircraft started a large fire at the West power station which was but one of many. At Klingenberg a considerable fire was already, burning when one aircraft arrived. By the glow of this fire sticks of bombs were dropped right across the target. Five big fires were started by one aircraft at the Moabit power station, enabling the target to be. clearly identified by following aircraft. Three bombs from one aircraft caused more fires and touched off. explosive material, which blew up in a series of vivid flashes. Th° so fi res Moabit were visible 80 miles away. GASWORKS INCLUDED.

Other Berlin targets,' mostly power stations and. gasworks, received special attention. At the Charlottenburg power station four big fires were observed from one aircraft as it came away. The Friedriclisfeld power station was attacked and the Wilmersdorf power station left ablaze. At the Danzigerstrasso gasworks _ the bombing caused a violent explosion and the target was left burning furiously. This was one of the night’s most satisfying spectacles. Explosions—seen 23 miles awaywrecked parts of the Neukoln gasworks. At another gasworks at Charlottenburg a large building was quickly gutted by fire, and many other fires caused by the aircraft, were observed. Railway yards were seen to be hit and the Tempelhof Aerodrome bombed. Siemens’s works, where a large proportion of electrical equipment for hydrogenation plants is produced, received a direct hit. Here a red, oblong-shaped fire started which spread rapidly. An American commentator _ on the German radio, dealing with last night’s R.A.F. raid, said the single small formations of British ■' planes never -seemed to-stop-coming. 7 - They dived to below 1000 ft. Another commentator said the raid was a kind of rolling attack. Blocks of buildings were razed.