TARGETS HIT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 58, 18 December 1940, Page 5

TARGETS HIT

INDUSTRIES AT MANNHEIM.

WHOLE OF ONE AREA IN FLAMES.

MERCHANT VESSELS DAMAGED.

(United Press Association—Qopyright )

(Received This Day. 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, 'December 17.

An account of activities in Germany and occupied territory last night > is given in an Air Ministry communique, i which states that the series of concentrated attacks on Germany was continued last night, "when aircraft of the Bomber Command subjected targets at Mannheim, the chief industrial centre on the Upper Rhine, to a sustained attack, which lasted seven hours. The weather was good, with a bright moon, f

One of the principal factories was repeatedly straddled by bombs.

At Ludwigshaven, a suburb of Mannheim, an- aniline dye factory, one of the largest in Germany, was set well on fire, fires being still visible half an hour after the attacking aircraft left. Bombs burst on the railway yards, the port, and along the banks of the Rhine.

A particularly violent explosion was observed at Neckarstadt, another suburb of Mannheim. By 3.30 a.m. the whole target was a mass of flames. •• *'•

At Speyer, a town south of Mannheim, factory buildings were hit. Targets at a town on the Neckar . were set on fire.

The Royal Air Force also attacked several aerodromes in daylight yesterday, and six merchant vessels off the coast of France. After the attack ono vessel was observed to be listing to port and another was on fire. From all these operations four of our aircraft are missing.—British Official Wireless.

TARGETS LEFT IN FLAMES'

BERLIN HEAVILY ATTACKED LONDON, December 17. The main feature of the Royal Air j» Force’s attack| on Germany last night was a heavy r raid on Mannheim. Royal Air Force' bombers were over this centre from. 8 o’clock in the evening until the early hours of the morn- , ing and a number of important targets were left in flames. Berlin again, felt the weight of the Royal Air Force on: Sunday, night, when railways, factories, and power stations were heavily bombed. It was the first attack, since the heavy raid more . than a week ago. : ,7

GERMANS ADMIT DAMAGE ALLEGEjD CIVILIAN LOSS : (Received This Day 11.5 a.m.) 'I LONDON, December 17. A German communique admits that the raid on Mannheim resulted, in damage to buildings,: including t£ palace, hospital, and two factories. Ten- persons were killed and 50 injured.

The British United Press correspondent' at Berlin states that officials admit that the Royal Air Force caused considerable civilian damage at Mannheim.'