BERLIN BOMBED FOR OVER AN HOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 236, 4 October 1940, Page 8

BERLIN BOMBED FOR OVER AN HOUR.

MORNING RAID

Continuous Explosions In

North-west Area.

United Press Association.—Copyright. (Reed. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON", Oct. 3. Sirens aroused Berliners from their sleep early this morning, says a Berlin cable message. They were forced to stay in their shelters for 72 minutes. The raiders concentrated on the north-west industrial area, where explosions were continuous. Thick clouds and poor visibility hampered the operations of R.A.F. bombers last nijrht, states an Air Ministry communique. Nevertheless strong forces of aircraft continued their attacks on military objectives in Germany "and on enemy occupied territory. T Among the targets were oil plants at Stettin, Hamburg and Bottrop, Krupps' works at Essen, goods yanii* at Cologne, a railway junction near Ha mm and several enemy ; Docks at Hamburg end Wilhelmshaven ;and ports and shipping at Amsterdam. -Rotterdam, Antwerp, Flushing, Ostend, TCalais, Cherbourg and Ushant were also bombed by Blenheims of the Coastal Command. I Oil Plants Bombed. Oil storage plants, dock installations, .land enemy occupied aerodromes were chief objectives of last night's wide- - spread raids by aircraft of the R.A.F. ~Bomber Command, • which encountered '2 bad weather over the' greater part of the operations area, with a fully over--cast sky and 'cloud -layer, which expended from 0000 feet to 15 feet over -the Dutch and Belgian coasts, severely -•hindering the raiders, who had also to Icontend witK ice-forming conditions- at ;low levels, says another message describ~ing the operations.

The night's heaviest attack was ; launched against Hamburg, where a large -oil factory and storage plant was subejected to nearly two hours' intensive "bombardment by relays of heavy i; bombers.

- Opening the attack shortly after 10 Ip.m. the first raider scored direct hits

•_on its target and started four separate -fires, which soon spread and merged -into one great blaze.

Violent Explosion.

- High explosives from the following »aircraft struck an oil storage plant. A "salvo of bombs which fell in the centre -of the target area caused a violent "explosion and an uprnsh of flames which £gave off clouds of thick,. black smoke. a firm hold and growing in in- * tensity this fire was seen by later ;. arrivals as they approached the target - from 50 miles out to sea. ,

Helped 'by the light of the fire a second wave of aircraft unloaded their -bombs on an oil "plant -which; started a .second great blaze. .Both fires were still iburning strongly and 'sending great "clouds of blacfc*em«ke r .billowing acroes lithe River Elbe aivthe" last of the "attacking force turned for home.

Other night bombing forces concentrated their attacks on docks and har- - hour* in Germany and in enemy-occupied r ' •

" Fires were started near shipbuilding 1 yards at Hamburg, and at Antwerp J sticks of high explosives were seen to •burst across the quay wall and along • one side of a dock basin. The naval ' "dockyard at Wilhelmshaven was sub- ' jected to a series of attacks lasting "nearly an hour.

' Another raiding force which, penetrated deep into Germany's Baltic ;coast, attacked harbour works near "Stettin. Other raiders bombed Krupps ■armament factory at Essen, where a Z vivid explosion broke out after the Jbombing. Attacks on aerodromes were -widespread, a total of 13 being bombed "in the night's operations. Air Duels' Over North Sea. Describing recent air duels in the -North Sea, the Air Ministry newjs service say* a Heinkel 115 A float-plane -dived out -of dense cloud over the North *Sea and dropped two bombs towards a Seonvoy. Both bombs missed. -""Believing lie had the eky to himself, 'the German pilot made ready for a second attack, but .a fighter of the Command, escorting the convoy, .swooped thrortgh a cloud bank and with -two machine-gun buret* set the. enemy ;flfire. The Heinkel's tanks bleMr Tdrenching the noseof the Blenheim with , 3>il. Near sea level the float-plane broke ;jnto pieces. Because the windows of •the British fighter were eo thickly 2-oated with the enemy'e oil, the pilot '.and navigator had a difficult journey iback. but made a safe landing.

• ..Another incident occurred when, while Ton''night patrol off the East Anglian iPoaet, a Hudson Coastal Command plane intercepted two Heinkel bombers. The -Hudson singled out one Heinkel for "attack manoeuvring so that both front '.imd rear guns could be used alternatively. The German was destroyed. •The Other Heinkel fired a short ineffec2'.ve buret at long range and then made