CARDIFF BOMBED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 January 1941, Page 5

CARDIFF BOMBED

INTENSE & PROLONGED AIR RAH) INDUSTRIES CARRY ON. TELEPHONE GIRLS STAY AT THEIR POSTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright' LONDON. January 2. There was an air blitz on Cardiff tonight. The attack, though intense and prolonged, was not on the same scale as the raids on Coventry, Birmingham and Southampton. Reconnaissance machines flew over soon after nightfall and were followed by bombers using thousands of incendiary bombs and then high-explosive bombs, reaching blitz force. Antiaircraft batteries put up the heaviest barrage yet heard in Wales. Two cinemas were badly damaged and shops, commercial buildings and houses struck. A number of churches were set on fire, but not extensively damaged. Later the raid spread to two other districts, while bombs were dropped in a third area. The Home Guards were called out to assist the fire-fighters and defence services. Telephone girls stayed at their posts, factories continued to work and the rumble of coal trains mingled with the bomb crashes. The "all clear” sounded in the London area before midnight. No bombs were reported. Raiders were reported over a west Midlands town early this morning. The casualties in last night's raid on carairr were not neavy, considering the weight of the attack. An A.R.P. officer said it had been a very bad night, but the effect of the attack was not to be compared with those on some other towns. All the fires have now been extinguished. The raid lasted for some hours. In other parts of the country German activity was not extensive. I German air activity over Britain yes- i terday was slight, the 8.8. C. reports.! Bombs were reported to have been I dropped only at one point in Kent, i There were no casualties, and the dam-1 age was negligible. The clearance of bombed areas in the ' City of London is proceeding apace, i and it is stated that the whole City will be open again for traffic in a fortnight. ■ Ancient churches which have been | damaged, but not destroyed are to be • left in their present state until their restoration can be undertaken. GERMAN REPORT MORE RETALIATION TALK <Received This Day, 9.10 a.m.) I BERLIN. January 3. A High Command communique stat-1 os: "Strong German bomber units \ blasted Cardiff port and city with I bombs of all calibres, "as a retaliation. I for British raids on Bremen.” "Eight persons were killed and 201 wounded when the British R.A.F. las’ I night bombed two towns in north Ger- i many, hitting a hospital and several j houses. Fires in several storerooms: ami factories were quickly extinguish-I ed, without noteworthy industrial or. military damage Two British planes ’ were shot down. Ora* German plane is RESPITE FOR LONDON NO BOMBS ON THURSDAY Nit IJ IT ill d Tills !Gy II 2.1 .-. m ' LONDON .I.'iiumv 3 I'. Mcw.irihv that the Air Mum-i try' raraA.p- dealing Ah last: night . raids Britain does not spedrappjd in the 1.. nd n area .luring ia>’» nu'.h’.’* h f <iirs HUAur-fi' ru’.d*