EMBARKATION PORTS HAMMERED BY R.A.F.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 220, 16 September 1940, Page 7

EMBARKATION PORTS HAMMERED BY R.A.F.

1 CONSTANT ATTACKS. Polish Squadron Is Now "Much Happier." British Official Wlreliv-s. (Reed. 1.30 p.m.) RIT.BV. Sept. Li. The Commander-in-Chicf of the Bomber Command. Air Marshal Sir C. F. S. Portal, to-day sent the fallowing mer-sage to the officer in charge of the bomber station whore are ba>c<3 the Polish squadrons which took par' in last night's air on Boulogne: — '•Hearty congratulations to your Polish crews on the successful completion of their first operation last night." Last nighfs successful attack on Boulogne, in which Polish bomber squadrons co-operated with R.A.F. units, was the first raid against the enemy to be carried out by Polish bomber crows operating from Britain. The two squadrons from which the crews were drawn were formed only three weeks ago. The pilots who took part in last night's raid are between 2G and 28 years of age anil. like the other members, their crew* have all had previous fighting experience in the Polish Air Force. Describing their raid on Boulogne, an observer in one of the Polish bombers said: "The searchlight and anti-aircraft gun opposition was every bit as bad as we had been led to expect, but these aircraft of yours are good, and we were able to evade most of it. We saw our bombs striking harbour works and bursting on basins. We came home verv much happier than we have been for "a long time." Chaos Among Shipping, Enemy shipping and barpe concentrations in the Channel ports and many supply depots and rail communications in Germany -were again heavily bombed last night by the K.A.F. An Air Ministry communique announcing these raids states: —"Last ni<rht strong force* of B.A.F. bombers made heavy and sustained attacks on shipping, barge concentrations, military equipment and stores assembled at Channel' ports, also on distribution centres and lines of communication used by the enemy for the movement of supplies.

"The ports of Antwerp, Flushing, Dunkirk. Calais and Boulogne were heavily bombed. Supply denote at Osnabruck, Mannheim. Aacliem, Hamni, Krefeld and Brussels were attacked, also rail communications at Rheine, Haue, Sundera, Hustcn and Westhoffcn.

"Our pilots and crews presßed home the attacks in spite of severe weather and heavy opposition from the ground defence*. Much damage was done, particularly to the docks at Antwerp. Gα emplacements mt Cape Gris Nez, also several enemy aerodromes, were also bombed. One of our aircraft is missing."

There is every indication that British air activity has doubled in intensity in the past 48 hours. It ie now enormously in excess of that of the Germans, eays * cable message. The British Fleet and the Royal Air Force are reported to be keeping up, through the 24 houns of the day and night, their attack on German shipping at ports '.n Xorway, Holland, Belgium and Fran .-. A tremendous amount of destruction is reported, particularly at Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne. Several eupply ships have been set on fire at Le Havre. Coast Reported Ablate. Throughout Friday night and. unto five o'clock on Saturday morning British bombing aircraft bombarded the French Channel ports along the whole coastline from south of Boulogne to north of Dunkirk. Great fires are reported between Boulogne and Dunkirk. Reliable source* in YTchy eay that the Royal Air Force, •which is hammering German shipping concentrations and ports on the Channel and Xorth Sea coasts, is now much more accurate than the German air force. The "Sunday Express" «»ys that Hitler has arrived at new invasion headquarters in North France. He has ako invited German and neutral journalists to assemble on the French coast to witness "the greatest spectacle of the age*— the invasion of England." Gocrinjr also ie at advanced air force headquarters, but the order to invade Britain still has not been issued,'and strange new propaganda, » circulating in Berlin. This propaganda contends that, after all, an invasion may not be necessary. German official quarters are using the argument that Britain can be brought to her knees by the destruction of her economic life, through air raids and blockade.