Evening star., 1941-04-18
Bv the Associated Press.

the tudr.
Bv the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 18.-The Royal
Air Force, striking back in swift
and fiery answer to Wednesday
nights heaviest Nazi raid on
London, pounded the heart of
Berlin overnight with new and
powerful super bombs" in it's
biggest assault yet upon the Ger
man capital, the British an
nounced today.
VERY substantial damage" was
inflicted on Berlin, the Air Minis
try declared, while the Luftwaffe
aimed new blows at Southern, East
ern and Northeastern England, sin
Cling out the south coast naval base
of Portsmouth for an hours-long at
tack.
ut will remind the Germans that
the r. A. F. still is able to reach
Berlin" London sources said of the
Berlin assault.
Herbert Morrison, Minister of
Home Security, told London defense
workers some of the new-type high
explosives were carried to Berlin by
the new four-motored Short-Stirl-
ing bomber, which is capable of car
rying several tons of bombs and re-
putedly is the most powerful in use
by any air force in the world.
Details Kept Secret.
Details of the Short-Stirling are
secret, but it is known to have a
long range, high speed and particu-
Iarly strong defense weapons. 1t has
been used heretofore in British at
tacks on German occupied territory.
CThe Germans, claiming that
only small r. A. F. forces got
through Berlin's defenses, ac-
knoWledged that the Prussian
State Library, undergoing re-
pairs as a result of the r. A. F.s
previous heaviest raid on April 9,
again was damaged by a fire
bomb.)
The Air Ministry acknowledged
the loss of eight planes in the fiery
overnight assault.
Targets in the heart of the Ger
man capital were blasted. the Min
istry's account said, adding that
fires Immediately broke out"
"The attack was pressed home" !"
It added, land many bursts were
seen across the targets. Substantial
damage was certainly done"
Other night raids were made on
Rotterdam, in the Nazi-occupied
Netherlands, the German industrial
city of Cologne and a number of
other places in Northwest Germany.
Daylight assaults were reported
carried out yesterday on Cherbourg,
France, and widespread forays were
made again German shipping, with
one ship declared damaged and
probably sunk and another blown
up IN port.
Portsmouth Is Target.
A procession of raiders took part
In the attack on Portsmouth, which
was the heaviest of the night in
Britain.
The German planes began coming
over shortly after dark and kept up
the assault for several hours.
High explosives did damage in
various parts of the city, but British
said casualties were remarkably
light.
One heavy high explosive bomb
crashed into church hall from
which many persons had hastened
to safer shelter just . few minutes
previously.
The only casualty in this incident
was an air raid precautions warden.
He was picked up, seriously hurt, on
the edge of bomb crater which
was rapidly filling with water.
Houses were wrecked in many sec
tions of the city, trapping residents
under debris.
At the height of the attack the
flares, dived through low clouds to
empty their bomb racks, but a per-
sistent and heavy anti-aircraft bar
rage forced some of them out to sea
where they were attacked by British
fighting planes.
Besides the tons of bombs dropped
on the city, others showered the
surrounding countryside.
Casualties Few Elsewhere.
Elsewhere, a bulletin declared,
Casualties were few and no sub
stantial damage was done"
London, still recovering from the
effects of Wednesday nights raid,
the worst of the war, had two brief
air raid alarms between midnight
and dawn, but no bombs fell in the
capital.
Two German raiders were off,
eially reported downed, bringing to
66 the total the British say they
have destroyed in the last 18 nights.
Low clouds we're said to have in
terfered with last nights attack on
Berlin-the 39th directed against
the German capital and the first
since April 9.