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Anglia and the Home Counties, and one from Coventry. No important damage and few casualties were caused by these daylight raids.
68. By night the enemy's main objectives were Cardiff, Bristol and, to a lesser extent, London. On the night the 2nd/3rd January a heavy attack was made on Cardiff; on the nights 3rd/4th and 4th/5th January the main attack was on Bristol, Avonmouth and Weston-Super-Mare; and on the night 5th/6th London was the main objective of a brief but widespread attack. On other nights there was little or no activity.
Damage.
Cardiff.
69. The buildings of British Oxygen Co., Ltd., East Moors, were completely demolished, and must be considered out of production for an indefinite period. Apart from this, direct damage occurred at only two factories, and in both cases was slight. Nine key points were affected, in most cases indirectly through loss of utility supplies, or the presence of U.X.B's.
70. The most important damage was done at the Gas Light and Coke Company's Works at Grangetown where three gasholders were damaged, leaving the city for some time without supplies. Electricity grid-lines were damaged in two places and several mains were also hit, with resulting local failures of supply. No important damage was done to the water system. No serious damage was reported from Cardiff Docks or Penarth Docks.
Bristol, Avonmouth and Weston-Super-Mare.
71. On the night of 3rd/4th January the attack was mainly with I.B's. on the centre of the city and riverside areas of Bristol, and although many fires were started these do not appear to have interfered with the general working of the Docks. The damage to utility services was lighter than in previous raids, although damage to water mains hindered fire-fighting. No important damage was done to key points.
72. On the night of 4th/5th January a few bombs fell in Bristol, but the main attacks were on Avonmouth and Weston-Super-Mare. The attack on Avonmouth was mainly with I.B's., which started many fires, but all were very quickly extinguished and the only appreciable damage was at Shell Mex and B.P.'s oil installation, where the barrel-filling shed was gutted, but with no effect on deliveries.
At Weston-Super-Mare damage was almost entirely to private property.
London.
73. Three shell-filling sheds were destroyed by fire at the Thames Ammunition Works, Ltd., Erith, Kent, and production may be retarded for a week. All work was suspended for 24 hours at Burgoyne, Burbridge & Co., Ltd., East Ham (Medical Supplies), but no further effect on production is expected. Apart from these two incidents the damage was negligible.
Elsewhere.
74. Industrial key points have been hit in Chester, Darlington, Purfleet, Newcastle, Birmingham, Coventry and Manningtree, but damage in all cases was very slight except at Whessoe Foundry and Engineering Co., Ltd., Darlington (Bombs), where there is loss of night work till black-out arrangements are restored; and at B.X. Plastic, Ltd., Manningtree, Essex (Glass substitutes), where a part of the plant was demolished.
Casualties.
75. The estimated casualties for the week ending 0600, the 8th January, are 398 killed and 691 seriously injured. These figures include 103 killed at Cardiff; 127 killed at Bristol.
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