Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - In the Europe of Total War
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defence authorities. An attack was imminent. We
had just sat down when the air raid sirens sounded.
We discussed for a moment whether we should
continue our dinner or whether we should go to the
excellent shelter under the Legation, which had just
been completed by Swedish workmen. Hearing the
roar of approaching planes, we chose the latter
course. Some of the Swedish personnel had already
gathered in the substantial and large shelter, and we
were soon joined by several members of the Finnish
Legation, whose shelter had not yet been completed.
All hell broke loose. This was obviously a large
scale raid. Fire wardens soon reported that
incendiary bombs had set fire to the attic, and we rushed
up to extinguish the blaze. However, it was too
dangerous to fight the fire immediately because of
the raid, and we returned to the shelter. More and
more Swedes, who had first fled to cellars in the
houses where they lived, soon arrived. These cellars
were not strong enough to resist the concussion of
explosions and falling masonry. We learned that the
other three legation buildings were also on fire and
that they were heavily damaged.
The all-clear signal was sounded after an hour
and a half, and we went out. The houses nearby were
ablaze, and the fire burned fiercely in the attic of
the Legation. While efforts were being made to
extinguish it, we tried to save a number of valuables
in the upper two stories. After that, we started
carrying the Legation archives down to the shelter,
where we were soon confined again by another alarm.
This raid only lasted a short time, however. When
the second all-clear came we found that all telephone
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