UNABATED FURY

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21371, 15 March 1941, Page 9

UNABATED FURY

BLITZKREIG CONTINUES GREAT BOMBING RAIDS DAMAGE AT CLYDESIDE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 15. 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, March 14 Europe’s moonlight batt>e of the air continued last night with unabated fury. Hamburg and the Clydeside took the brunt of the great bombing raids launched from both sides of the North Sea. The Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe took the utmost advantage of the present weather conditions, which is best described as an answer to a bomber’s dream. The fatal casualties at the Clydeside were not excessive in view of the heaviness of the attack, which lasted from dusk till early morning. The damage was mainly to tenements and residential property, but embraced some industrial establishments. The anti-aircraft barrage was heavy and continuous. Night-fighters frequently intercepted and drove off the raiders. The lessons learned in other cities had been well noted. The firemen and public were ready to tackle incendiaries before they did much damage, and all the fires were under control remarkably quickly. The major public services are functioning normally today. Homeless people have been temporarily accommodated in rest centres and received food and clothing. Bombs razed a row of houses in one area, burying the tenants. Families Trapped Several families were trapped when a high explosive directly hit threestoried tenements, which crashed on a shelter in which there were several people. While rescuers were endeavouring to extricate those trapped a bomb struck another tenement on the other side of the street. Only a crater marks the site. A band of 30 youths hastily equipped themselves to fight fire-bombs and smothered scores before they did any damage. The civil defence personnel commandeered commercial transport to carry injured people to hospital. The Clydeside had almost come to believe that it was immune from a full-dress blitz, but the I/jftwaffe made the most of the conditions. Many aptly-called chandeliere flares were dropped. Probably they were intended as a hindrance to the anti-aircraft guns, because the moon was bright enough to show almost any target. The German Version A German communique claims that strong formations attacked the shipbuilding centre of Glasgow with particular success. Harbours, docks, shipyards, workshops, supply dumps, stores and warehouses were bombed. The fires spread till there was a sea of flames. Other formations attacked Liverpool and Hull and destroyed establishments and food and industrial plants. Further successful attacks were directed against important targets in the south of England and the Midlands.