WORST YET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 May 1941, Page 6

WORST YET

4. SATURDAY NIGHT’S RAID ON LONDON DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS. SAD SCENES IN MORNING LIGHT. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, May 11. Saturday night’s raid is described by eyewitnesses as easily the worst London has yet suffered. The German High Command states that it was a reprisal for the R.A.F. bombing of Berlin. A tour of London this morning revealed a tragic destruction of buildings, shops and homes. Londoners were grieved to find some well-known buildings unrecognisable heaps of wreckage. One ancient building blazing bore the date 1669. People emerged from their shelters ■ and gazed wonder-eyed at the destruc- ! lion. They searched vainly for their ; usual buses, which in some cases were . diverted to other routes. A number of ' streets were railed off, where this was 1 necessary to enable debris to be clear- : ed.

There were pathetic sights in little streets of small shops, where families Jived overhead. Even though these were not bombed or set on fire, the effects of blast achieved the same destructive purpose. Windows were blown out and interiors wrecked. A German communique said: “A strong force raided London throughout the night. Successive waves dropped high explosives of every calibre and also tens of thousands of incendiaries. Large fires occurred in the Thames bend, particularly in the Commercial and Millwall docks.” The communique adds: "Strong British forces last night attacked the North German coastal area, mainly Hamburg. High-explosives and incendiaries caused numerous fires, but the damage to military objectives was in-1 significant. Single planes penetrated to the outskirts of Berlin.”

HOUSES DAMAGED BOMBS IN SOUTH-WEST ENGLAND. SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE INJURED. (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, May 11. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique announces that late yesterday evening bombs were dropped in South-West England. Some houses were damaged and a number of people were injured.

GERMAN CLAIMS (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) BERLIN, May 11. An official agency said that late reports of the bombings in the Midlands last night indicated exceptional successes. An important fuselage plant and motor works at Coventry, it was added, was destroyed by direct hits. Low-diving planes smashed two aluminium plants in Birmingham. The same agency reports that submarines have sunk 298,000 tons of shipping in the North Atlantic in the past few days. HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBER BADLY SMASHED. MAY NEVER BE USED AGAIN UNTIL REBUILT. (Received This Day. 1 p.m.) LONDON, May 11. Buildings damaged in last night’s air raid included Houses of Parliament, Westminister Abbey and the British Museum. The House of Commons Chamber is so badly smashed that it may never be used again until it is rebuilt.

Air raid alarm sirens sounded again in London tonight.