MERGE ROYAL AIR FORCE RAIDS ON BERLIN

Southland Times, Issue 24241, 26 September 1940, Page 7

MERGE ROYAL AIR FORCE RAIDS ON BERLIN

Long Alarms In German Capital On Two Successive Nights

(United Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) (Received September 25,11.55 p.m.) LONDON, September 25. The Royal Air Force followed up Mo nday night’s fierce attack on Berlin by another heavy raid last night. It is stat ed that the alarm in Berlin lasted for three hours and high explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped. Invasion bases on the Channel were again attacked and through a haze watchers on the English coast saw flashes. Later terrific explosions were felt on the English coast.

Monday night’s raid on Berlin was described as the heaviest of the war. Reports from neutral sources indicate that the British bombers arrived in waves and 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 were dropped. Most of the fires were extinguished.

An Air Ministry communique states that throughout Monday night strong bomber forces of the Royal Air Force delivered heavy attacks on military objectives in and around Berlin. 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 the British aircraft and heavily bombed were the Rangsdorf railway station and several railway yards, including that at Grunewald, the west tower of the Wimersdorf electric power station, gasworks in Danzigstrasse and Neukoln, factories at Charlottenburg and Spandau, including the Brandenburg motor works and other objectives. ATTACKS CAREFULLY PLANNED The attacks on Berlin were carefully planned and lasted for several hours. How well the general scheme was worked out may be judged by the comments of the commanding officer at one large station who said: “My aircraft went out at regular intervals, and came back as regularly, just like well-organ-ized trains.”

The west power station and the power stations of Wilmersdorf, Charlottenburg, Klindenberg and Moabit, al! within the Berlin area, each came in for steady hammering. Many fires were seen to break out. One aircraft alone started five large fires, which were visible 80 miles away. Another aircraft reported that a power station was alight at four different points. At Klingdenberg and Wilmersdorf it was the same story, bombs bursting on power stations and flames leaping high. WIDESPREAD RAIDS Details showing that the heavy air attack on military objectives in Berlin by the Royal Air Force was part of a large-scale general bombing offensive are contained in an Air Ministry communique. This states that, in addition to strong forces of the Royal Air Force detailed to bomb objectives in the Berlin area and the enemyoccupied Channel ports, other forces of bombers last night attacked aircraft works at Wismar, the lock gates on the Kiel Canal, shipyards and docks at Hamburg, Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremen and Wismar, goods yards at Munster and Hanover, railway communications in North Germany and several enemy aerodromes. Yesterday aircraft of the Coastal Command shot down an enemy bomber into the sea. Aircraft of the Coastal Command carried out operations against the Ger-man-occupied naval station at Brest early on Tuesday morning. 'Over the torpedo-boat station the oil tanks and the stores a long line of bombs was dropped. Heavy explosions were followed by four distinct fires. A pillar of dense black smoke was seen over the harbour and the flames were visible for more than 30 miles from the French coast. Other aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked Zeebrugge and laid a stick of bombs across the canal mouth. Unusually large flashes followed the explosion of salvos of bombs. SEVERE FIRES STARTED

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 the bombs had been dropped, followed by a very large fire in railway buildings which was still seen 23 minutes after the aircraft had left the area. Three power stations took the brunt of this series of attacks. One aircraft started a large fire in the Western power station, a fire which was but one of many. At the Klingenberg plant a considerable fire was already burning when one aircraft arrived. By the glow of this fire sticks of bombs wei-e 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 the following aircraft. Three bombs from one aircraft caused more fires and touched off explosive material which blew up in a series of vivid flashes. These fires at Moabit were visible 80 miles away. Other Berlin targets, mostly power stations and gasworks, received special attention.

At the Charlottenburg power station four big fires were observed by one aircraft as it came away. The Friedrichs-

feld power station and the Wilmersdorf power station were attacked and left ablaze.

At the Danzigerstrasse gasworks 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, the Charlottenburg works, 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 was also bombed.

Siemen’s works, where a large proportion of the electrical equipment for the hydrogenation plants is produced, received a direct hit. Here a red oblong shaped fire started which spread rapidly. , One pilot attacking a large gasworks saw his bomb burst among the buildings. Other pilots attacked the same targe' and left a string of fires in the target area. One of them said: “We must have hit this gasworks fair and square. One of the bombs started another line of fires and then a fire in the middle of the target caused a gigantic explosion.” A rail junction to the east of the West power station was also bombed. In an attack on an aero-engine works many bombs dropped in the area and shortly afterwards numerous fires broke out. Siemen’s cable works was also set on fire. An American commentator on the German radio dealing with the raid said: “Single small formations of Britishers never seemed to stop coming. They dived to below 1000 feet.” Another commentator said that the raid was a kind of rolling attack. A block of buildings was razed to the ground.

Some idea of the wearing tactics employed over Berlin by the Royal

Royal Air Force may be gauged from the fact that, after- the first bombs had dropped shortly before 11 p.m., bombing continued on an average of intervals of about four minutes and a-half for several hours. Throughout those hours British aircraft were constantly over the city in relays. Some of them remained above their targets for anything up to 50 minutes in spite of unfavourable weather so as to aim their bombs with precision. . .

AUSTRALIAN FORCES TO BE INCREASED MELBOURNE, September 25. The Prime Minister, Mr R, G. Menzies, announced yesterday that the War Cabinet had decided to increase the strength of the Australian Imperial Force by the formation of another division. The present objective strength of the Australian Imperial Force will therefore be an army corps, comprising four divisions, with a corps of troops. The present divisions were the sixth, seventh and eighth. The new one would be the ninth. Mr Menzies said that the nucleus of the 9th Division would comprise certain units at present abroad, the division being brought up to strength by the dispatch of existing reinforcements for organization into units abroad. The new division would not entail immediate resumption of recruiting, but this would be necessary later to replace certain units taken into the 9th Division and to provide reinforcements. When recruiting was resumed a definite quota would be periodically laid down. Enlistments would be made selective, preference being given to single men.