MUNICH IN FLAMES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1943, Page 3

MUNICH IN FLAMES

R.A.F. DROPS 500 TONS OF BOMBS HUGE EXPLOSIONS SEEN GERMANS ADMIT DAMAGE. WEEK-OLD FIRES IN ST NAZAIRE. LONDON, March 10. The R.A.F. made a heavy raid on Munich last night, in which they dropped over 500 tons of bombs. It was the second attack by the R.A.F. in 24 hours on Southern Germany and involved a flight of over 1,200 miles. One pilot who arrived over Munich midway through the bombing found the whole centre of the target area obscured by smoke. He said he could only distinguish the buildings round the fringe. A quarter of an hour after the raid began a huge explosion sent a great jet of flames upward for over 1000 feet. One pilot said it was as if someone had switched a light on in a room. It is believed the explosion was that of an oil tank. More fighters than ever seemed to be busy in Southern Germany last night and there were many encounters with the enemy. Two enemy fighters were shot down. In addition to the attack on Munich, mines were laid in enemy waters. Eleven British aircraft are missing. The Berlin radio, admitting the attack on Munich, speaks solely of damage to cultural places. Munich is the birthplace of the Nazi Party, and among the places which Hitler would doubtless call “cultural” is the Nazi Party’s headquarters, the notorious Brown House. But the city is much more than a Nazi stronghold. It is a great industrial centre, making submarine and aircraft engines and tanks. There was a great deal of air activity over the French coast this afternoon, numbers of aircraft being seen crossing the Straits. No official news of the action has yet been released. A Vichy spokesman said the fires started at St Nazaire were still burning yesterday, seven days after the last R.A.F. raid on that U-boat base. One enemy aircraft was destroyed over England last night.