BLAZING INFERNO IN RUHR ARMS WORKS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 187, 9 August 1941, Page 7

BLAZING INFERNO IN RUHR ARMS WORKS

MOONLIGHT RAID Smashing R.A.F. Blows On Enemy Industries And Ships British omc-ial Wht-Ip.s.-:. Rec. 1 p.m. RUGBY, Aug. 8. Rough weather over the North Sea was again no defence to German cities which the Bomber Command attacked in force last night. The storm clouds broke up over western Germany, and the armament works at Essen could be seen elearlv in the moonlight. The crews reported big fires, and down into the flames went an exceptional number of the most powerful high explosive bombs. When returning, the crews saw from far away the glow in the eastern sky, which means that the destruction of German war industries was going on long after the bomlsers h».d left. At Hamm, the railway yards which are the eastern outlet of the Ruhr were hit, and there were huge fires among industrial buildings in the town. At Dortmund an important railway yard was hit again and again. Elsewhere there was much damage to industrial buildings, and a successful attack was made on a city noted for its foundries, collieries and machine works. During the night more bombers found enemy shipping to attack in brilliant moonlight. One bomber got in two direct hits from about 1000 feet on a fairly large merchant ship, which blazed furiously. Another ship was hit and seen to be listing. The Netherlands Admiralty announces that a Dutch submarine operating with the British Navy sank an enemy supply ship sailing in a convoy in the Mediterranean, and severely damaged an enemy auxiliary vessel. Heaviest Bombs on Essen An Air Ministry communique states that R.A.F. bombers continued their attacks in force on Germany's industrial towns last night. A great weight of the heaviest bombs was dropped on armament factories at Essen. Dortmund and Hamm were also heavily attacked. Fine weather and good visibility favoured the attacks on all these places, and great damage caused and widespread fires were left burning.. A small force of bombers attacked the docks at Boulogne. Aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked enemy aerodromes and other targets in Denmark and shipping off the Dutch coast. Enemy aerodromes in northern France were attacked by aircraft of the Bomber and Fighter Commands. Three aircraft of the Bomber Command and one of the Coastal Command are missing from these night operations. Early this afternoon a Messerschmitt 110 was shot down by British fighters off the East Coast, it is now known that five enemy fighters were shot down by British fighters yesterday. Fighter Pilots' Sweep Fighter Command pilots carried out a series of offensive operations lasting from early morning until late in the evening, on Thursday, says the Air Ministry news service. Twice they escorted formations of Blenheim bombers to targets and screened them from enemy fighters. All bombers returned safely.

There are many Messerschmitts in the sky looking for stragglers, but the main formations of fighters were left alone. Clords hid the waiting Messerschmitts, and in many cases also prevented British pilots from seeing the fate of the enemy fighters engaged. For this reason the destruction of only four enemy aircraft could be confirmed, though many others were damaged and several of them possibly destroyed. Ten of the escorting aircraft are missing.

During these operations bombs were dropped on a German aerodrome near St. Omer, and on other targets near Gravelines.

A German supply ship attempting to slip northward along the Norwegian coast was torpedoed early on Thursday morning by a Beaufort aircraft of the Coastal Command. Flying through low cloud and rain, the Beaufort pilot sighted the ship when it was less than 1000 yards away. He dropped his torpedo and banked steeply. The gunner in the Beaufort's rear turret saw the torpedo run on its course and hit the vessel amidships.

A daring low-level bombing attack was made on the Mandel aerodrome in southern Norway by another Beaufort. The Germans were taken completely by surprise, and the flarepath remained lit until the Beaufort was right overhead.