dodis.ch/47182

Le Ministre de Suisse à Londres, W. Thurnheer, au Ministère britannique des Affaires étrangères12

The Swiss Minister presents his compliments to His Majesty’s Principal

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and regrets to have to inform him that

a new and very grave violation of Swiss neutrality by the Royal Air Force took place during the night of December 16th/17th.

Several British bombers repeatedly crossed the Swiss frontier in the neighbourhoods of Basle, Laufen and Les Rangiers between 11.0 p.m. and

12.45 a.m. At 11.10 p.m. these planes dropped bombs on the station of the

Swiss Federal Railways at Basle and on the neighbouring districts. Fifteen or sixteen 250 lb high explosive bombs and more than fifty-three incendiary bombs were dropped, causing a number of deaths and injuring many people. Considerable material damage was also sustained.

This very serious bombardment of the Swiss town of Basle is the more incomprehensible in that there was a full moon and that the ground was covered with snow, thus affording perfect visibility.

The Swiss Federal Council protest against this renewed bombardment of a Swiss town and ask for full reparation of the damage done3.

In view of the continuous breaches of Swiss neutrality they must insist that active measures now be taken to avoid any repetition of these deplorable incidents.