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Résumé of Events by Night.

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78. 9th/10th January.-Bombs were dropped in all regions except Scotland and a number of the country's major targets, particularly the dock areas, sustained desultory attack. London, Chatham, Southampton, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Bristol and Avonmouth, Liverpool, Birkenhead and Manchester were all attacked. Damage and casualties were also caused at Grantham, Aldershot, Egham, Rugby, Halesowen, Rowsley (Worcestershire), Stoke-on-Trent, Burton, Bolton, Rochdale and Halifax.

79. 10th/11th January.-Portsmouth and Gosport were attacked in two phases of short duration. Čentral areas in Portsmouth were badly damaged by fire, which mainly affected private houses, shopping centres and civic buildings. Twenty-one serious and 150 medium fires were caused by this raid, in which 68 people were killed and 161 seriously wounded.

80. 11th/12th and 12th/13th January.-Heavy but short raids were carried out on London. The first raid, the more serious, caused fires in the City, South London, Finsbury and Kensington. 812 fires were started, but of these only one was major; of the remainder 12 were serious and 70 of medium importance. Some damage was done to docks and serious incidents took place at Liverpool Street and Bank Stations. On the second night (the 13th/14th January) the Thames Estuary and Eastern districts of London on both sides of the river were attacked, more particularly in the docks, Thames Haven, Southend and the South-East Region. Three people were killed and some houses damaged at Plymouth.

81. 13th 14th January-Plymouth was the main objective. 82 fires were started and some damage was done to public utilities. 18 people were killed.

82. 15th/16th January.-Bombing was widespread. London and North Midlands were the areas chiefly affected, and railways were damaged round Peterborough and Grantham.

Damage.

Fighting Services.

83. At Portsmouth (the 10th/11th January) the naval dockyards were hit and several establishments burnt out. Docks and vessels were unaffected, and damage is not considered vital. There was a fire at R.N. Fuel Depot, Gosport. There was а serious fire at R.A.M.C. barracks, Westminster (the 11th/12th January).

Docks.

84. Though many bombs fell in the dock areas of London, these did not interfere seriously with work at the docks.

At Mersey Docks (the 9th/10th January) damage was done to sheds, wharves, stores and hydraulic mains, but the work of the port was not seriously interrupted.

Railways.

85. In London there was considerable delay and dislocation in rail services, but little substantial damage except at Bank Station (where the booking hall and escalators were wrecked and 35 people killed), Green Park (entrance wrecked and 8 people killed), South Bermondsey (extensive damage to sheds at S.R. depot) and Liverpool Street (43 people, mostly waiting passengers, killed).

At Portsmouth for a time all traffic was stopped, trains terminating at Havant and Cosham. Fratton Locomotive Depot and sidings were badly damaged and there were major fires at the Harbour and Central Stations.

At Plymouth, the Southern Railway was closed between Friary Station and Devonport, but no serious damage was done to the G.W.R.

On the 15th/16th January the London & North Eastern Railway main line was blocked between Grantham and Peterborough and on the branch to Skegness.

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