NAZI TANKER HIT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 211, 6 September 1941, Page 7

NAZI TANKER HIT

MOONLIGHT ATTACK

Bombs Cause Explosion In

Petrol Factory

Rec. 2 p.m. RUGBY, Sept. 5. An enemy tanker. 300 feet long, was bombed and hit by a Beaufort aircraft of the Coastal Command just outside the French harbour of Granville last night, states the Air Ministry news service. The Beaufort had patrolled the coast searching for German supply ships creeping along under cover of darkness, and the search was fruitless until the pilots of the Beaufort sighted a tanker at anchor 400 yards outside Granville. It was low in the water and apparently heavily laden, with several light derricks in the bows and amidships.

Rec. 2 p.m

The Beaufort circled once to set the vessel outlined clearly in the brrght moonlight, and then attacked on the beam in a shallow dive. Medium and heavy bombs were dropped in a short stick. The pilot saw a white cloud of smoke rise. The smoke was hanging down to the deck of the vessel as the Beaufort made to get away.

Another Beaufort of the same squadron concluded an offensive patrol of the French Atlantic coast with an attack on La Pallice. The roads at La Pallice were empty of shipping but industrial buildings to the north of the port stood out clearly despite a heavy haze. The Beaufort's bombs were aimed at a factory of the Company Industrial des Petrols. A few moments later the crew heard and saw debris flung high by the explosion. There were ships at anchor inside the docks themselves and the pilot was under intense anti-aircraft fire.

There was very littie enemy activity over Britain last night, states an Air Ministry communique. Bombs were dropped at a few points near the East Coast, but no serious casualties were reported and very little damage resulted.

In raids over enemy-occupied territory yesterday n German machines were shot down. Seven British fighters and one bomber were lost.

A Flying Fortress aircraft bombed the docks at Rotterdam yesterdav afternoon. Bremen and Brest docks have also been tombed by fortress aircraft recently. No aeroplanes are missing from Wednesday night's attack on Brest. The German radio this morning admitted that Russian bombers were over Berlin last night. It was stated that there were no reports of any bombs haying been dpopped.