FIRES RAGING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 171, 22 July 1941, Page 8

FIRES RAGING

? A.F. BOMBERS' WORK Large Force Comes Safely Home From Continent ,lec. 1 p.m. LONDON, July 21. An Air Ministry communique tates that Ji.A.F. bombers catried nit an atU'.'/k on a factory at. Lille ind enemy shipping off the French oast. A number of enemy fighters /ere encountered and seven were estroyed. Our losses were three liters missing. R.A.F. pilots, who were returning rom last night's raids on Germany nd occupied territory, report a fire mile long at Cologne—one of many -and a blaze at Rotterdam visible .00 miles away. A large force was out, and in spite ■ f the weather they found targets in he industrial areas of Cologne and -ther objectives in western Gernany and the docks at Rotterdam, jver Cologne the crews watched the .esults of bombing through gaps in .he clouds. There was a very brilliant fire a mile long among the factories on the outskirts of the city. Elsewhere ten other fires were burnng at a time and high explosive jombs were bursting amidst a large ndustrial building already fiercely ablaze. At Rotterdam there was a formidble fire among the docks, the glow •f which was seen from 100 miles way. On the way back a pillar of ense black smoke rose 6000 ft and id a large part of the docks, while he flames lit up the warehouses in wont of the smoke. At Aachen bombs were seen to urst among the factory buildings, fter these successful attacks the hole large force came safely home, lough the Germans put up a strom; arrage and night fighters were oout. One Mes ; \-j hrnitt 110 was it and driven off in the course of a ombat. An additional Air Ministry comaunique states that it is now known hat eight enemy fighters were detroyed by our fighters in operations jver the Channel and northern ranee to-day. Once again an official communique lealing with daylight air activity iver Britain states that there is .lothing to report. The destruction of an enemy tanker •f about 7000 tons off the coast of ranee on Sunday brought the 1 amber Command's bag of enemy ossels for the week-end up to 55,000 tons, states the Air Ministry ti'-ws service.

The tanker, which was originally ittacked by six Hurricanes, was later round by Blenheims half-way between Le Touquet and Berck-sur-Mer. It was then strongly escorted by enemy fighters. The tanker was attacked by aircraft from mast height and hit amidships and astern. A column of smoke was still visible when our aircraft were well away. Effective gunfire from the bombers drove off three enemy aircraft, from one of which black smoke was seen pouring. During a reconnaissance last evening the tanker was seen beached half a mile from Berck-sur-Mer. It was down at the stern and the bow was well out of the water. A trail of oil was drifting seawards. An Italian communique says that enemy aircraft raided Naples last night. Fifteen persons were killed, including nine soldiers of an antiaircraft defence battery, and 24 per sons were wounded.