Evening star., 1943-04-04
Eyewitnesses Reveal
Loss in Berlin Raids
hazis Tried 10 Hide
Vitul War Plant Hit
In Raj Attacks Called
Absolute He'll

By the Associated Press.
STOCKHOLM, April 3.-The Hal
lensee district in Berlin's exclusive
residential West End was hit hard
in the last Raj raid on the German
capital Monday night, eyewitnesses
said today. and the mammoth war
vital Siemens electrical goods manu-
featuring plant was reported dam
aged.
Berlin's efficient railway belt
transportation system runs through
Hallensee. Informed sources said
that because of ironclad police con-
troll in all of the affected areas
they were unable personally to con-
firm the damage to the Siemens
plant, but that it was generally re-
ported in Berlin.
These same quarters said they
understood the Tempelhof airdrome
and surrounding territory also were
hit. 1t was recalled that plane
service between Stockholm and Ber-
lin was Cancelled suddenly Tuesday,
after Berlin had been bombed twice
in three nights.
Raids Called Absolute He'll
Reports trickling through the
super secrecy which the Nazis i'm
posed after the last two heavy RAF
attacks indicated that the raid
March q was heavier than the one
two days later.
Fires were still smoldering and
burning when the RAF came the
second time, eyewitnesses said, and
later new fires could be seen blazing
In all corners of Berlin.
They described the raids thus
absolute hell-the two most awful
Nightmares we ever went through
We thought we were going to be
blown to bits any moment"
Berliners huddled in the shelters
IN constant fear that one of the
RAF blockbusters would smash the
more or less lightly reinforced pro-
tections constructed in Easements of
buildings in which most people go
for safety.
All Clear Delayed Hour.
Long after the all clear sound
ed, they said, people were still
forbidden to leave the shelters. The
all clear after the second raid didnt
sound until an hour after the last
Raj bomber had departed, these
sources said
Rolling kitchens moved into
some of the worst-hit areas. where
water and gas mains were tenn
porarily out of commission, they
continued, and public food supply
centers were set up.
Sightseeing" was out of the
question because of extreme pre-
cautions by authorities to prevent
the people from learning too much
about the effects of the raid, these
sources said. Damaged areas were
Immediately roped off and no one
was allowed to enter unless he had
legitimate business.
Food ration cards which the Raj
dropped on Berlin are obviously
causing great confusion and up
setting the city's economy.
Warned of Death Penalty,
Warnings are published that
anyone who finds such ration cards
and uses them instead of delivering
them to the police is subject to the
severest punishment, even death as
saboteur of the war economy.
Shopkeepers and restaurants are
empowered to check the validity of
each ration card.
A sign that fires caused heavy
damage was seen in the press en-
phasls on instructions how to fight
fires and bring them under control
speedily.
The telephone system was so
overloaded after the raids by per-
sons lnquiring after the well-being
OF friends and relatives that news
papers opened a campaign saying
after an air attack don't engage in
private telephone conversations so
that calls important to defense can
get through"