THICK WEATHER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 October 1940, Page 7

THICK WEATHER

CLOUDS HAMPER RAIDERS BUT ATTACKS PRESSED HOME. PLANES CROSS & RECROSS BERLIN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, October 25. Rail communication centres and other objectives in central Berlin again were attacked last night by aircraft of the Bomber Command. The weather over the German capital was far from favourable to the raiders. Early arrivals were met by a wholly overcast sky, with a cloud extending from 12,000 feet to within 4,000 feet of the ground, and, to make sure of hitting their targets, the pilots launched attacks from a considerably lower level than in most previous raids on Berlin. Later, gaps in the cloud layer made possible attack from a higher level, where gunfire from the ground defences was less intense, but poor visibility in all areas hampereiid detailed observation of the bombing results. The first raiders to reach the city, shortly after midnight, located and attacked the Putlitzstrasse and Lehrtcr railway yards, while salvos of high explosives added to the extensive damage inflicted on the previous night’s raids. Half an hour later the same targets were bombed by a second sortie. One of the raiders was hit in several places by shrapnel while pressing home its attack from a low level. Other raiders sought out objectives in the heart of the city and a huge fire, which started in a target area, served as a beacon to guide following aircraft straight to their objective. The last wave of attackers came over Berlin at 1.30 a.m. and for-the next 75 minutes raiders crossed and recrossed the centre of the city in bombing runs. Berlin’s twenty-third raid lasted close on three hours. GERMAN REPORT BOMBS DROPPED THROUGH LOW CLOUDS. (Received This Day, 9.0 a.m.) LONDON. October 25. A Berlin radio message stated that British planes raided the city last night, dropping explosives and incendiary bombs through low clouds on residential districts, housing estates and garden colonies. An explosive bomb hit a crematorium. A number of fires caused were quickly extinguished. Several persons were injured. Two planes were shot down when approaching the city. LIMITED DAMAGE SOME CASUALTIES CAUSED. AIR MINISTRY REPORT. ’'Received This Day. 9.0 a.m.) LONDON, October 25. An Air Ministry communique states: “There was comparatively little enemy activity over the country last night. Fires in one Midland town damaged commercial property and public buildings. A few persons were killed and a number injured. Some bombs were dropped elsewhere, mainly in SouthEast England.”