ATTACKS ON BERLIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 September 1940, Page 5

ATTACKS ON BERLIN

CARRIED OUT ON BIG SCALE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE. AIR MINISTRY REPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) RUGBY, September 24. An Air Ministry communique states: “Throughout last night strong bomber forces of the R.A.F. delivered heavy attacks on military objectives in and around Berlin. This attack was on a much larger scale than any yet carried cut and preliminary reports show that extensive damage was done. “Among .the targets selected by our aircraft and heavily bombed were the Rangsdorf Railway Station and several railway yards, including that at Grunewald, the west tower of the Wimersdorf electrict power station, gasworks in the Danzinstrasse and Neukoln, factories in Charlottenburg and Spandau, including the Brandenburg motor works, and other objectives. “During the night operations over the Channel, ports in enemy occupation were vigorously attacked. Three of our aircraft have not returned.” WELL ORGANISED BRITISH PLANS WORK OUT WELL. POWER STATIONS & GASWORKS BOMBED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) RUGBY, September 24.

According to an Air Ministry bulletin the R.A.F. attacks on Berlin were' carefully planned and lasted several hours. How well the general scheme worked out may be judged by comments of the commanding officer of one large station, who said: “My aircraft went out at regular intervals and came back as regularly, just like well-organised trains.” The west power station and the power stations of Wilmersdord, Char- -- lottenburg, Klingenberg and Moabit, all within the Berlin area, each came & in for a steady hammering. Many fires were seen to break out. One aircraft alone started five large fires, visible 80 miles away. Another reported that a power station was alight at four different points. At Klingenburg and Wilmbrsdord it was the same story, bombs bursting on power stations and flames leaping high. One pilot, attacking a large gasworks, saw his bomb burst among buildings. Other pilots, attacking the same target, later left a string of smallish fires in the target area. One of them said: “We must have hit this gasworks fair and square, as our 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 also was bombed. In an attack on the B.M.W. aero engine works many bombs were dropped in the area and shortly afterwards num- ■ erous fires broke out. The Siemens cable works was also set on fire. FIRES IN BERLIN NAZIS ALLEGE ATTACKS ON RESIDENTIAL AREAS DENIAL OF MILITARY DAMAGE. ANOTHER STORY TOLD IN NEUTRAL REPORTS. (Received This Day, 9.25 a.m.) LONDON, September 24. Berlin suffered its most serious attack last night, causing two large

fires.' The German News Agency announced that several British planes last night flew over the northern and eastern suburbs of Berlin, dropping bombs and deliberately attacking residential quarters. Dwellings were damaged and several civilians were killed or injured. There was no military damage. Reports from neutral sources indicate that the British bombers arrived in waves and apparently set Are to at least two warehouses or factories. Anti-aircraft fragments peppered Berlin throughout the raid. The authorities state that mostly incendiary bombs were dropped and that most of the fires have been extinguished. OXFORD STREET SHOPS ENTERPRISE IN SPITE OF RAIDS. LONDON, September 24. After the Luftwaffe's vicious bombing and blasting, Oxford Street, which is world-famous among women, has partially recovered its old allure. Several large stores have been unable to reopen, but one has put two girls at a pavement desk in a side street todeal with inquiries. Many people who have come to see the damage in Oxford Street have remained to shop. Women do not have to go into the shops nowadays to finger materials appraisingly. When a big store in Oxford Street was reopened its windows were elegantly dressed, but customers pointing to the models were surprised to find that the usual glass barrier was not there.