PLANTS WRECKED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 228, 26 September 1941, Page 7

PLANTS WRECKED

LEISURELY BOMBING R.A.F.'s Busy Week-end Over Continent British Official Wireless. Rec. 2.30 p.m. RUGBY, Sept. 25. Reconnaissance has now proved the success of a number of attacks made in daylight last week-end, when the Bomber and Fighter Commands were exceptionally busy over i the Continent. "With or without fighter escort our bombers," states \ the Air Ministry news service, "were out in daylight over Norway, over Emclen and oyer Dutch territory, while in France they attacked a number of points which have become essential cogs in the German war machine. "The bombing last Sunday of an electric power station and chemical works at Gosnay, near Bethune, was conspicuously successful While a strong force of fighters kept all Messerschmitts away, the Blenheim crews were able to make steady bombing runs over the great area of the works and almost at leisure direct bombs at the most important and vulnerable parts of the plant. There was a direct hit. possibly two, on the south-west boiler house of the power station, and another on the north-east boiler house. Bombs burst on the railway sidings and rolling stocks, while several bombs fell along the south-west edge of the dynamo house and on the coal-wash-ing plant. The coal conveyor and workshops were hit again and again. "There were at least six direct hits on the chemical works. Bombs burst on the oil pipeline and finally incendiaries fell right among the oil tanks where they would be likely to do as much harm as anywhere in the plant. Important railway yards at Hazebruck were bombed la,st Saturday by Blenheims, with fighter escort, and here again the bombs burst just where they would be most effective. There were several direct hits on a point where the railway tracks converge to form a bottleneck. as well as on a large engine shed and on rolling stock. Much damage was done to a line of workshops which form the east and south boundary of the shipyards, and bombs burst on and near oil storage tanks, some of which had been wrecked in earlier attacks, on the shipyards. "On this very busy Saturday Blenheims made a vigorous attack on the docks at Cherbourg. A stick of bombs burst on submarine shelters on the west side of the Napoleon Basin and others burst among craft r in the harboux,