AEROPLANE WORKS BATTERED

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23100, 16 August 1940, Page 9

AEROPLANE WORKS BATTERED

Long Night Flights By Royal Air Force

TARGETS IN ITALY AND GERMANY

(bbitish oiraui wibeliss.)

(Received August 15, 1.55 p.m.)

RUGBY, August 14.

Vital aircraft works in Italy and Germany were among the targets battered by bombers of the Royal Air Force last night. Heavy bombers flew some 1600 miles to make a series of raids on the Caproni factory in Milan and the Fiat plant in Turin, and as they turned for home they left behind them blazing factory buildings. '

In these widespread attacks, only two British aeroplanes were lost. One of them, returning from Italy, came down in the sea off the English coast. The crew were saved.

To attack the Italian factories, the raiders made a double crossing of the Alps, and they had to climb three miles high to surmount the snow-capped peaks.

Another pilot made three separate runs over the works, and he 100 scored direct hits with his incendiary bombs on the south end of the buildings, causing tires, while one of his heavy bombs struck the other end of the works. When another pilot arrived about 12.45 a.m. there was a haze covering the target, but it was insufficient to conceal it. and he too was able to score further hits with heavy bombs and start more fires. The haze became thicker, but now it was lit by flames as the fires started by earlier raiders took hold and spread. One pilot who took up the attack at 1 a.m. said that the target was on fire when he arrived. From 10,000 feet he dropped a fresh salvo of highexplosive and more incendiary bombs which further increased the blazing area.

Railway sidings some distance to the west of the aircraft works were also hit and a road and railway junction south of Turin was attacked. One aircraft straddled the junction with two slicks of heavy calibre bombs and another tore up the railway lines with a direct hrt on the permanent way. The Caproni parent works at Milan, which turn out Italy’s bombing aircraft, were badly damaged when the, raiders attacked from just after midnight till 12.45 a.m. All reported seeing bursts on the target. One salvo of incendiary bombs fell in a line right down the length of the buildings, and as heavy bombs followed them, there came a series of large explosions ip a cluster of buildings at the south end of the works. The aerodrome adjoining the works was hit—a stick of high-explosive bombs falling across the hangar on the west side. Seaplane Station Bombed When another pilot dropped his bombs on the seaplane station at the south end of a big reservoir, he observed some of them falling on the concrete slipways, while others, hitting the hangars, caused a great explosion and then a fire. Yet another part of the works, this time at the south-west cornel* of the factory site, was hit and a big explosion blew up parts of it. As other sections of bombers arrived they added systematically to the destruction. Soon many fires were to be seen all over the target area. By 12.30 a.m., pilots just arriving found the Caproni works themselves and the aerodrome building on fire. One of them, dropping more bombs right across the factory building, saw the fires spread and as the flames grew in strength they lit up the buildings, which could be seen clearly. One bomb caused an explosion with a big yellow flash, which died down quickly. At 12.40 a.m. one of the raiders, bombing from 10,000 feet.in a clear sky, could see several fires in the target area, and another large one in some railway sidings alongside. He, too, scored hits on the Caproni works. A little later another pilot came down to 1000 feet over a road and railway bridge at Cassano Dadda, and hit it directly with two heavy bombs. The Italian defences, apparently, Were taken completely by surprise. The anti-aircraft fire was scanty and ineffective. , , . ~ This was the second big raid catried out on Italian aircraft works, tne first being made within 24 hours of Italy’s entry into the war, when the Breda works were damaged, as well as the Caproni and. Fiat factories. Italian Account It is officially stated in Rome that the text of the leaflets dropped by British aeroplanes over Turin is as follows; — “Italians, to gain victory and independence of Italy . your forefathers rose in arms against tyrants and chased their hated enemies—the Germans — from Piedmont and Lombardy. To-day Italy is no longer a free and independent nation. In this war, which you did not want, Italy is the vassal Slate of Hitler. Why are you in the war? Perhaps for greater Italy? Not at all. You are in the war to make Hitler stronger and enable him to exploit Italians for his war.” The leaflets dropped over Milan read: “Italians, who has dragged you into the war? Are you only slaves willing to bend your backs to your hereditary enemy—Germany? Open your eyes widely because the war, with all its terrors, is now at the doors of your homes.” An Italian communique slates; “British aeroplanes, coming from Switzerland. carried out a raid northern Italy early this morning. They dropped bombs and leaflets. Fifteen bombs were dropped on Turin. British aeroplanes bombed Milan at 1 o’clock this morning, killing 12 civilians and wounding 44. Thirty high explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped. AHesandria and Tortona were also bombed. At Turin one person was killed and eight wounded. At Allesandria nine were killed, three of whom were firemen doing first-aid work.” The Official Italian News Agency leads the outburst of anger in the Italian press against the British raids. It describes them as acts of criminal barbarity. It adds that the Royal Air Force is too cowardly and inferior to risk daytime raids. The agency states that British pilots violated Swiss neutrality in this morning’s raids on Italy, entering Italy via Geneva and other Swiss points. It adds that the Swiss are investigating the incident and intend to lodge a strong protest. A message from Berne states that an :army communique announced that 130 foreign aeroplanes flew over Swiss

Attack at Bernberg

While these blows were being struck at Italy’s war industry, other bombers of the Royal Air Force rained ’ bombs on important military targets in Germany, the Low Countries, and France, among them aircraft factories, munitions works, and aerodromes.

Visibility was impeded by some ground haze when • the attacks began about midnight. One pilot, who was over the Fiat works at 12.30 a.m. until 1.15 a.m., scored several direct hits, and the roof of the works was pierced in several places. He could see his incendiary bombs hitting the holed roof, and after a fierce blaze had broken out there followed two big explosions.

territory shortly before midnight They crossed the Jura district between Geneva and Porrentruy, and took a southerly course, presumably for tha northern industrial centres of Italy. A second alarm occurred when the aeroplanes relumed. Reports from Geneva state that two air raid alarms were sounded in Geneva. On both occasions unidentified foreign aeroplanes were reported overhead.

An Air Ministry communique issued at 7.15 p.m. states: ‘“Last night, in addition to the raids on Italy, strong forces of bombers attacked the Junkers aircraft factories at Dessau and Bernburg, north of Leipzig, munitioh factories at Lunen and Grevenbreich, various military objectives in the Ruhr, and 14 aerodromes ifi Germany, Holland, Belgium, and France. One of our aircraft is missing.” The vast Junkers factory at Dessau, less than 60 miles from Berlin, which, as stated in the Air Ministry communique, was attacked by the Royal Air Force on Tuesday night is one of Germany’s main centres of aircraft production. The works were systematically bombed by relays of aircraft for more than an hour, and were heavily damaged. Numerous direct hits with heavx, calibre bombs were scored on many parts of the target area, and the crew of one aircraft, whose bombs fell in a line across the main building, reported that one had hit and destroyed the main powerhouse. Others had severely damaged the air frame assembly sheds and a large sheet metal shop.

In another attack delivered from a height of only 1000 feet, one of the experimental shops was directly hit, and blew up.

Meanwhile, the subsidiary Junkers factory at Bernburg. where the air frames for Junkers dive-bombers and troop transports are produced, was being attacked. Salvoes of high-explo-sives and incendiarv bombs were seen to burst and flare up Within the-target area. A line of bombs exploded across the aerodrome, which adjoins the works, and part of the buildings which was struck by heavy bombs went up. in a shower of debris which could plainly be seen by the crew of the low-flying bomber.

Munition factories, at Lunen and Grevenbreich were also attacked, and in both cases fires were started by incendiary bombs.

Bombs were also dropped during the night at other factories at Mun-chen-Gladbach, where four direct hits were scored, at Frankfurt, at Kochem, and on a blast furnace some 20 miles north-east of Cologne. Low cloud and haze prevented observation of the results of the attacks on a large oil refinery at Hanover. Railway yards about 25 miles northwest of Osnabruck, where goods trains are assembled and dispatched, were raided in the early hours of the morning.

Fourteen enemy aerodromes in Germany. Holland. Belgium, and France, ranging from Dekooy, in the north, to Brest, in the south, and extending as far east into Germany as Magdeberg, were also raided in the night’s widespread operations.

The Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain states that an air raid alarm was sounded at 1.35 a.m. The all-clear signal was given at 2.22 a.m. No explosions or anti-aircraft fire were heard. Nazi quarters state that the alarm was caused by a number of scattered British aeroplanes which were reported to have reached Potsdam, but were turned back by anti-aircraft fire and no bombs were dropped. ARREST OF BRITISH M.P.

QUESTION OP PRIVILEGE TO BE CONSIDERED (BRITISH OmCIAI. WIRELESS.) RUGBY. August li It was decided in the House of Con> mons without debate that Captain A. H. M. Ramsay, M.P., one of the earliest persons to be held in custody under the new defence regulations, should appear before the Committee of Privileges now deciding whether there has been any breach of privilege which the Commons claim for each one of their number.

The object of the jealously-preserved “privilege” is to ensure that neither the Executive, Government,' nor any other interest interferes with a member and injuriously affects his ability to represent his constituents and make his voice heard in Parliament.