BERLIN BOMBED

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1940, Page 7

BERLIN BOMBED

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.

BRITISH PLANES STRIKE

Received 11.30 p.m. London, beptemner ^ gRITISH bombers carried the war to Berlin during the night giving the German capital an alarm of more than four hours, the longest time Berliners have spent in shelters since theoutbreak of the war. A communique issued by the Aii Ministry this morning briefly stated: "Strong forces of Royal Aii Foice bombers attacked important military objectives at Berlin last night."

British planes circled the city for more than four hours during the night, keeping Berliners from their beds for the longcSit period since the outbreak of the war, says the correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain. The crash of bombs was heard in the central district. Guns of various sizes put up the fiercest barrage yet heard, and the terrific noise startled those in shelters throughout the city. The rhythm of the anti-aircraft firing indicated that the raiders were coming over in waves. A fire lit the sky in the industrial district of Morbit, north-west of the city. The attacki lg planes dived low, coming within the range of light antiaircra'ft guns. Trscer shells poured into the sky for three hours, but apparently no raiders were disabled. The German official news agency admitted that British planes were over the northern and eastern suburbs of Berlin and dropped bombs, but said they did no military damage. Simultaneously Royal Air Force bombers resumed their battering of invasion ports. German anti-aircraft batteries endeavoured to beat off wave after wave of bombers, but the fury of the methodical raid did not abate. The weather was fine in the Straits of Dover, the sea was cairn and there was a gentle westerly wind and a slight mist over the French coast. An Air Ministry communique on the previous night's Royal Air Force attacks on important targets in Germany and the Channel ports stated: "Our aircraft aii returned safely from widespread operations in Germany, Holland, Belgium and France which were carried out successfully during last night and the early hours of this morning. Important aluminium works at Lauta, north-east of Dresden, were bombed. Fires broke out. "Railways in the neighbourhood were attacked at several points, and neai Dresden hits were scored on a supply

train. Strong forces of bombers also attacked docks, harbours and shipping at the enem.y occupied ports of Flushing. Antwerp, Dunkirk, Ostend, Zeebrugge, Calais and Brest." The Germans have greatly strengthened the defences of the invasion ports, and guns followed the Royal Air Force Lombers for two miles out to sea. the| Air Ministry announced. Fires lit up| the whole coast from Calais to Flushing like carnival illuminations. Bombs that fell on a big ammunition dump at Ostend caused a terrific explosion. They also fell on a 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 high explosive bombs and hundreds of incendiary borr.bs fell over the harbour. One ship blciw up sky high. It was Ihe same story in the other ports. One raider blew up nine barges drawn up on the beac'n five miles from f stend. High explosive bombs on the Lauta aluminium works started big fires, the Ministry stated. Bombs also hit a railway. Four fires occurred at the Torgau rail junction, gutting a goods shed.