DOCKS AT OSLO ATTACKED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 280, 8 September 1941, Page 5

DOCKS AT OSLO ATTACKED.

FLYING FORTRESSES IN ACTION.

MORE RAIDS ON THE RUHR. (United Press Association —Copyright.) LONDON, September 7. Bombers of the Royal Air Force last night attacked targets in the Ruhr. About noon yesterday Flying Fortress bombers of the Royal Air Force bombed the docks at Oslo, causing much damage. • This attack, in which the bombers operated from the sub-stratosphere, was the longest bombing flight the Fortresses have yet made, Oslo being 500 miles, from their bases.

Of this attack the Air Ministry states: “In the course of a high altitude reconnaissance in the morning, Fortress aircraft of the Bomber Command attacked enemy shipping in Oslo harbour. No aircraft are missing.”

Enemy air activity over Britain was slight last night. Bombs were dropped in the south-west, causing damage and slightly injuring a small number of people. Details of the damage the Royal Air Force has inflicted in recent daylight attacks on Germany and the occupied territory are not available. Many targets of recent attacks have been enemy ships in coastal waters. The damage done in these attacks must be assessed in the main from the reports of bomber crews and photographs taken at the time but occasionally other reports confirm this evidence of the enemy’s heavy losses at sea.

Thus, it is now reported that businessmen are very reluctant to send goods by ships sailing from Dutch ports, hut when they try the German railways as an alternative they are often told that the railways are overworked and cannot take their goods. There has been much complaining about this.

Convincing Evidence

There is complete and convincing evidence of the great effect of Royal Air Force attacks on land targets by day. Reconnaissances and other evidence now reveal how accurately the Royal Air Force has bombed by day the industries of Germany and the invaded territories. When Bremen was bombed on the morning of July 4, several warehouses were completely destroyed. It was probably during this raid that bombs fell on the erection hangar of a factory making Junkers 87 aircraft, with the result that more than 20 aircraft were destroyed and damaged beyond repair. More' than 100 workmen w r ere killed and production in the factory was seriously retarded. It is now known that -when a Flying Fortress bombed Fmden in daylight on .July 2G at '.east four industrial buildings were completely demolished. In Holland, an iron and steel works north of Ijmuiden 'harbour have several times been attacked in daylight. After cne such attack it is estimated that production »n the works must have been reduced by one-third. Several large buildings at these extensive works have been badly damaged, and there is much damage to blast furnaces.

Rotterdam harbour, which has now become a great centre of German coastal shipping, has recently had two major daylight attacks as well as many *by night. A photograph has been published of a cargo liner of the Noordam type of 9000 'to 10,000 tons, lying on its side in shallow water at a quay. This was one result of the second daylight attack, but in this and other attacks there was also much damage to the Rotterdam docks and shipyards. In an attack on July 16, warehouses near Maash'aven suffered extensive damage by fire and high explosive bombs. In France there are many reports of dislocation of industry caused by destruction of and damage to power plants.