WORKS ABLAZE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 154, 1 July 1940, Page 7

WORKS ABLAZE.

TARGETS IN GERMANY.

Brilliant Flames After R.A.F. Bombs Fall. CHEMICALS AND MUNITIONS. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 11 a.m.) RUGBY, June 30. Further details are contained in an Air Ministry bulletin of the attack by R.A.F. bombers in many parts of north-west Germany and the Rhineland. Chemical factories were heavily bombed, and in each attack the raiders wer£ over the target area for over an hour.

At Dormagan, south of Dusseldorf, the firet section of the attacking force etarted fires which, though small at first, grew in intensity as the attack developed, and eventually merged into a fierce conflagration.

At Hoshst, near Frankfurt, batteries of heavy and light guns surrounded a chemical factory, but in spite of intense opposition, most of the R.A.F. bombers found the target and scored hite with high explosive and incendiary bombs. At one tstage of the bombardment a lire which couid be seen 50 miles away followed the blowing up of part of the factory.

One lot of bombs dropped from a high level caused large flashes which brilliantly illuminated the target and momentarily outshone the beams of numerous searchlights working in cloee co-operation with the anti-aircraft guns.

On the homeward journey one of the British bombers wae attacked by a Meseersohmitt 110, which broke off the engagement after being hit several times in the fuselage.

An extensive fire was started at a factory on the eaet bank of the Rhine, close to Monheim, some minutes after a salvo of bombs had been dropped, and eaet of Cologne hits were registered on a blast furnace. Marshalling yards attacked by other raiders were principally at Osnabruck, Soest and Ha nun, and at all three places further damage was inflicted.

Traffic on the Dortmund-Ems Canal wae again subjected to low-level attacks, and eeveral barges near the lock gates were destroyed.