‘EXCEEDINGLY HEAVY.'

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 25, 9 November 1940, Page 5

‘EXCEEDINGLY HEAVY.'

ATTACK ON KRUPP’S WORKS.

OTHER IMPORTANT TARGETS. LONDON, November . 8.. “During the: night the Royal Air Force carried out an exceedingly heavy attack on the Krupps works at Essen,” says an Air Ministry announcement made this morning. “Oil targets, the invasion ports, and enemy aerodromes in France were also attacked.’’ . This is the first time the -Air Ministry had used the phrase “exceedingly heavy,”' to describe a British raid. ; The Air Ministry states that three of Germany’s main inland harbours, namely, Duisberg-Ruhrort, Mannheim, and Ludwigsliaven, fell victims to the Royal Air Force on Wednesday night. An important aero, engine .works was a target in the . Berlin Suburb of Spandau.

Heavy clouds and storms harassed the R.A.F. bombers going to Berlin. One pilot said that- he picked up no landmark for hours. A break in the clouds showed over the target, and tho first bombs started a fire. Weather in the Rhineland on Wednesday" night' hid details of the 'bombing, but fires and' big explosions occurred at Duisberg-Ruhrort, Ludwigs haven and Mannheim, the last of which is tiie second largest river port ill Europe and is at present used for tho loading of war supplies. A pilot said • “Our bombs caused five explosions and a big fire at Mannheim.” Heavy and incendiary bombs rained down on Ludwigshaven, which is tho biggest German harbour on the left bank of the Rhine. Other successful night attacks centred on railway yards at Hamm, Mainz, and Cologne, a factory 20 miles north-east of Cologne, an aerodrome at Politz, and dockyards at Dunkirk.

During a daylight raid carried out by R.A.F. aircraft on Wednesday morning, heavy bombs were dropped on a factory at Salzbergcn, in north-west Germany. As each bomb bit the target green flames shot up, turning to red. When the aircraft came away the factory was seen to be ablaze.

Another British aircraft, operating off the port of Den Helder, in northern Holland, spotted and bombed a convoy of eight or nine large inotorvessels, each averaging some 4000 tons.

The restriction of R.A.F. bomber operations because of bad weather on Monday night, when enemy aircraft made attacks over widespread areas (.1 Britain, is claimed in Berlin to prove beyond doubt that the Royal Air Force suffers by unfavourable weather much more than the German air arm. The obvious explanation, which is apparent to those who have evidence of ruined homes, hospitals, churches, and other buildings not even remotely connected. with war activities in Britain, is that the enemy attacks are indiscriminate and primarily aimed at terrorising civilians. The Royal Air Force, on the other hand, is scrupulous about attacking only military objectives. If conditions are such as to prevent location of targets the bombers stay at home. When, as sometimes happens, had weather develops on the journey, and obscures targets, R.A.F. bombers are not ashamed to return without releasing their bombs.