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APPENDIX VII.

Air Attacks on Enemy Territory in Europe.

Extracts from Recent Raid Assessment Reports.

Results of Raids.

The following reports of damage have been received during the week from Air Reconnaissance and Intelligence Sources :-

Germany.

Berlin. On the 13th/14th November a bridge in the Konigstrasse over the Spree Canal was destroyed. Railway tracks near Moabit were damaged and the Friedrichstrasse Station slightly damaged. The areas most affected were the Leipzigerplatz and the Leipzigerstrasse.

The raid on the 15th/16th December had been described by two sources as most successful; the districts of Tegel and Steglitz suffered heavy attacks. The Schoneberg and Papestrasse Stations were hit and traffic between Berlin and Potsdam was suspended. Bombs in the centre of the city did considerable damage to Wertheims stores and to the Police Presidency. Traffic on the underground from the Wittenberg Platz to the Zoo was stopped for two days and considerable damage was done to shops, houses and the cinema in the Tauentzien Strasse. Casualties are stated to have been 100 killed and 200 injured in this raid.

On the 20th/21st December the Law Courts were hit and bombs fell near a gas works in the Gitschiner Strasse. No. 44 Schmidt Strasse was completely destroyed and bombs fell in the Fehrbelliner, the Kaiser Friedrich and the Taunus Strassen. The cathedral, which was hit, was only slightly damaged, though for propaganda purposes the Germans greatly exaggerated it.

Hamburg. On the 16th November eight heavy bombs scored direct hits on Blohm and Voss. Later in the month two Dutch East Indies vessels and a German auxiliary cruiser were sunk in the harbour, and a neutral seaman saw five partially-built submarines at Blohm and Voss which had been damaged.

Cologne.-Photographs taken by Bomber Command show the success of attacks upon the oil target at Wesserling. Many craters are clearly visible in the centre of the plant, and there is no sign of activity or movement save for a locomotive under steam and some trucks in the sidings. Several buildings, including the power station, have received direct hits, and the power plant does not appear to be operating.

Railways. As a result of the heavy attacks on Mannheim, the line from Ludwigshafen to Kaiserslautern was hit in four places. It was closed to traffic and had not reopened by the 2nd January. Damage to the line between Mann- On the heim and Frankfurt was countered by the use of alternative routes. Mannheim-Heidelberg line goods trains had to be diverted owing to damage 2 kms. from Mannheim.

France.

Boulogne. Shortly prior to Christmas the Hôtel Meurice received a direct hit and 33 German Officers were killed.

Le Havre. Photographs taken by P.R.U. disclose additional damage to the roof of the harbour passenger station, considerable damage to the hangars of the C.G.T., to the roof of a large building in the Wire Drawing Mill and to sheds at the South end of Schneider Works.

Italy.

Bari.-The oil refineries were so much damaged that a number of the workmen had to be transferred to Leghorn, where the refineries were already working to full capacity.

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