Evening star., 1941-04-10

British raids on Berlin. hotCeUer,
haze not been comparable in any
Uay Nth terrific German assaults
on British capital, most disastrous
Is of Which occurred last September.
q, TIE Associated Press.
BERLIN, April l0.-The mag
nifcent German State Opera
House, one of Adolf Hitler's ia
vorite theaters, was destroyed
and three palaces were damaged
last night by British airmen In
what the high command &C
knowledged to be the heaviest
raid on Berlin since the war
began.
DNB. official German news
agency, said. however, there were
only six deaths in Berlin.
Emden, Bremen and several other
vital war Centers in Northern Ger
many also were attacked, as we'll
as Bellevue Castle in Berlin, guest
house for foreign statesmen, the
most recent of whom was japanese
Foreign Minister Matsuoka.
II British Planes Claimed.
The high command said the Luft-
waite, anti-aircraft and naval ar
tillery shot down Is British planes
last night, presumably over Ger
many, while a 18th was brought
down over the occupied area. A
communique said seven British
planes we're doWned Tuesday night
and 10 in daylight hours Tuesday
in attempted r. A. F. raids on the
occupied territory.
Heavy blows against Birmingham
and the port of Newcastle, as well
as Ipswich and Southampton, were
also claimed by the high command.
Heavy-ca bombs hit armament
plants. ship wharves and docks and
started fires. the communique said.
In the Nazi attack on British
shipping the destruction of nine
ships, totaling $4,000 tons, was
claimed, while five other large ships
and a destroyer were said to have
been damaged.
CThe British said IL German
planes were down last night in
Nazi raids on Britain and ac-
knowledged loss of eight of their
own planes last nighs)
Hit by Shower of Incendiaries.
The State Opera House was burned
out after a shower of incendiaries
struck it. This morning a dense
cloud of smoke hung over the CEN
ter of the city, attracting hundreds
of the curious. Fire hose criss-
crossed Inter Den Linden and the
area was roped off.
CThe opera house is not to be
confused with the Kroll Opera
House where the Reichstag now
meetS)
The former Crown Prince Palace,
now state gallery of modern art,
also was hit.
The lncendlarleS, apparently COM
Ing down in bundles. fell on nu-
merous other buildings along the
avenue, including the historic Prus-
sian state library, where the attic
was burned out.
Similarly burned out was the top
floor of the Emperor William I Pal
ace, opposite the state opera, and
the right wing of the university
across the street.
A number of Office buildings near
the Brandenburg gate suffered minor
damage from incendiaries.
In Potsdam. the facade of the So
rallied New Palace, one time resi-
dence of Wilhelm II, was damaged,
as we'll as some valuable art objects
Informed sources said the fire in
the state library, which was re-
ported brought under control
Quickly, had not damaged the COL
lection of approximately 100000
volumes housed there.
Opera House Sad Sight.
The state opera building offered
q sad sight, however. The fire there
apparently started at the rear end
Of the stage house. whence the
flames, finding rich food. blew
through the roof and ate their way
into the proscenium through the
front.
At 8 am. masses of spectators
could see through the building from
Unter Den Linden to unscarred St.
Hedwig's Cathedral Immediately
back of the opera.
While this part of the city appar-
entity suffered from incendiaries
only, official announcements said ex-
plosives struck two hospitals and
apartment houses in other districts
killing and wounding number of
persons. The raid, the third on the
capital since December, was said to
have resulted in heavy losses" for
the invaders.
The radio informed Berlin resi-
dents that performances at the
state opera would be temporarily"
suspended.
The Prussian State Library is a
goth century building, having been
started in 1908 and completed in
1914. Founded in 1861, it was sur
passed in size only by Paris, London
and Washington libraries.
The state library and the opera
house both face on Unter Den Lin
den, almost opposite each other. The
opera house was erected in 1741-43
and restored after a fire in 1843.
Informed sources reported that
o 20000-ton enemy" transport
~ (See RAIDS, Page A-3.)