INDUSTRIAL TARGETS BOMBED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 251, 5 August 1941, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL TARGETS BOMBED.

RAIDS ON WESTERN GERMANY. OPERATIONS OVER CHANNEL - LONDON, August 4. Bombers of the Royal Air Force were again over Western Germany last night. Although the weather was unfavourable, industrial areas and communications were attacked in Hanoover and Frankfurt-on-Main. The docks at Calais were also bombed. From the night’s operations, one British machine is missing.

The Royal Air Force was active ovei] the Straits of Dover and the coast of northern France last evening. The weather was very clear in the straits and anti-aircraft shells bursting over the French coast, in the direction of Calais were seen from the British side. An Air Ministry communique states: “Aircraft of ihe Fighter .Command again carried ' out many offensive operations over the channel and northern France- in daylight yesterday. A large number of enemy objectives Avere attacked. Patrol vessels, aircraft on the ground, troops, gun posts, and an aerodrome were raked with machine-gun and cannon fire from a low level, and four enemy fighters Avere shot doAvn. One of our machines is missing.”

The American Eagle Squadron destroyed its first bomber victim yesterday when one of its pilots shot down a Dornier 17 into the channel. This is the sixth enemy machine recently destroyed by the squadron. The successful pilot was out on a convoy patrol Avith another member of the squadron when he saAV a Dornier dodging in and out of the clouds. Five bombs were dropped wide of the convoy as the Eagle pilot went into«the cloud after the German.

“I gave him a burst and then began a long chase,” said the pilot gvhen he returned. “Loav cloud gave the bomber many chances, but after my final hurst he went down.”

The Royal Air Force on Saturday night celebrated the hundredth Aveek of the Avar by a heavy attack on Berlin, the sqcond within nine days.

British bombers came over, the city from all directions and spent half an hour making what the pilots called a circular touch of the centre of the German capital, dodging behveen the beams of searchlights and through heavy anti-aircraft fire. The Air Ministry described the raid as one of the fiercest attacks yet made on a specified object in Berlin. Berlin admitted that the raid took place but said that it had only a nuisance value.

Hamburg Avas as fiercely attacked as Berlin, extensive damage being done to docks, railways, and industries. The German naval base at Kiel was also attacked —the second heavy attack in 24 hours and a smaller force of bombers carried out a successful raid on Cherbourg. From all these raids five British aircraft are missing.