DAYLIGHT RAIDS ON ENEMY COAST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 239, 8 October 1940, Page 8

DAYLIGHT RAIDS ON ENEMY COAST.

MANY ATTACKS

R.A.F. Offensive Over Wide

Area Of Continent.

British Official Wireless. (Reed. 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 7. In a series of daylight raids, beginning soon after dawn on Sunday and continuing until late this afternoon, Royal Air Force bombers attacked coastal objectives and enemy shipping over an area extending from Harlingen, in the north, to Boulogne, in the south-west.

Weather conditions were consistently bad, with low floud and heavy rain restricting visibility.

One early morning raider approaching Calais under cover of clouds attacked a concent ration of barges lying at one of the main basins. Two heavy calibre bombs aimed from a low level exploded among a group of r>o barges. Another bomb"hit a jetty and a fourth etriick a large warehouse beside Carnot Basin. Almost immediately after this attack the bomber was itself engaged by a formation of 12 Messersehmitt 109 fighters. The British rear gunner in the ensuing running fight shot one of the Messersolimitts down in flames and held off the rest of the formation until the bomber gnined cover in a cloud. Barges and Shipping Hit. Barges and shipping at Boulogne and Ostend were also attacked. One raider crossing over Holland bombed the aerodrome at Diepholz, 30 miles south-west of Bremen. Two high explosive bombs were seen to burst on the tarmac immediately in front of a line of hangars.

Other aircraft ranging over the Dutch coast bombed a number of supply ships lying alongside a quay at Horlisten, and barges in the River Maas, and attacked shipping in the Zilid'er Zee ports of Stavoren and Enkhuigen, scoring hits on Est Quay and north of the harbour. Here a number of small ships were hit and fires started.

Supply ships in a Dutch harbour off Den Helder, the terminus of the great North Holland Canal, were attacked in the afternoon in the face of heavy antiaircraft fire. Four bombs struck the liarbour works, causing a violent explosion and a cloud of red sparks.

One 800-ton sliip making towards the harbour was also bombed from a low level in a shallow dive attack. A direct hit was scored on the stern of the ship, which was left enveloped in a cloud of steam and smoke. It had disappeared when aircraft returned to the scene a few minutes later. . Official Statement. An Air Ministry communique states that yesterday aircraft of the Bomber Command carried out daylight attacks on Ostend, Calais and Boulogne. Shipping and barge concentrations at Harlingen, Stavoren, Enkhuizen, Dordaekht and Den Helder were bombed.

At Den Helder a direct hit was registered on a supply-vessel. The aerodrome at Diepholz in western German}' was also attacked. During the course of these operations a Blenheim bomber engaged and shot down an enemy fighter. None of our aircraft was lost.

Hudson aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked two armed merchant vessels off the Dutch coast yesterday morning. Both ships put up en intensive protective barrage. While .diving to the attack one of the Hudsons was hit and set on fire. Nevertheless the pilot, with great gallantry, pressed home the attack. His flaming aircraft eventually turned over and plunged headlong into the sea.