R.A.F. ATTACKS IN FRANCE

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23108, 26 August 1940, Page 7

R.A.F. ATTACKS IN FRANCE

Enemy-Occupied Aerodromes

OPERATIONS IN GERMANY (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) (Received August 25. 9 p.m.) RUGBY, August 24. The Air Ministry stales: “Aerodromes in occupied territories in Fr&nce, from which German fighter and bomber squadrons are operating against Britain, were the chief objectives last night for aircraft of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command. The attacks were distributed over a wide area and were carried out by both heavy and medium bombers.

“Villacoublay, the large military ai;d air base on.the outskirts of Paris, was raided in the early hours of the morning. Bombs dropped in a low-level attack were seen to burst across the aerodrome. Parachute flares, released to illuminate the target, set lire to a wood on the east side of the landing ground. "Raiders operating nearly 250 miles away over South Brittany bombed aerodromes at Vannes. St. Brieuc, Rennes, Dinard, Lanveoc, Poulmic, and Guipavas, and an important air base north of Brest. In Normandy great tires visible for many miles _ were started on the aerodromes at Lisieux and Caen.

“In northern France two aerodromes, at St. Omcr and Mervillo, which formerly served as bases for Royal Air Force fighter units in France, wore attacked. A fire started on the edge of the St. Omer landing ground was followed a few minutes later by two heavy explosions. "Another raider penetrating 70 miles south of Paris, bombed the aerodrome at Orleans, where one salvo burst within 50 yards of the main hangars. Glisy, the main airport of Amiens, and the Beauvais aerodrome, well known to travellers on the London-Paris route, were also attacked in the early hours of the morning. “Another French target successfully raided during the night was the harbour works at Dieppe where, alter a wharf had been hit, a series of vivid white explosions broke out, followed by large fires and flashes, which could be seen 40 miles out to sea, “British heavy bomber forces also paid their customary nightly visit, to Germany, their objectives on this occasion being the important benzine refinery and storage plant at Stcrkradc, in the Ruhr, and the big railway yard at Mannheim. At Sterkrade lines of high-explosive bombs were seen to straddle the target. A direct hit is believed to have been scored on a pumping station, and a fire was started with incendiary bombs. _ A section of the ground defences which became troublesome to the raiders was effectively dealt with by a salvo of bombs, which silenced the gun batteries and put the searchlights out of action. “Railway sidings at Mannheim were subjected to an hour’s heavy bombardment. during which the target was repeatedly straddled. Fires caused by explosions in the centre of the shunting yard were seen to be still burning a quarter of an hour after the last aircraft left the scene. “Eindhoven aerodrome in Holland was attacked shortly after midnight _by a medium bomber. The pilot, coming down to within 2000 feet of the ground, saw a bomb strike _ buildings on the aerodrome and extinguish a lighted flare path.” Daylight Raids An Air Ministry communique states: "Daylight operations carried out by Royal Air Force bombers during Friday included harassing attacks on aerodromes and other objectives in northwest France, the Low Countries, and Germany. At night an oil refinery in the Ruhr and supply depots in the Rhineland were bombed. Some 20 aerodromes and seaplane bases occupied by the enemy in Holland and France, and other targets at Boulogne, Dieppe, and Brest were also attacked. Three bombers have not returned.” As a German aircraft was landing on the flare path on the SI. Omer airfield. Coastal Command Blenheims bombed the aerodrome for the second time this week. The German ground stuff had just flashed a landing light to an incoming aircraft when the Blenheims came in to the attack. The flare path was extinguished as the bombs exploded on the runway. Other Blenheims had the aerodrome buildings and hangars as targets, and started fires among them. As the aircraft flew away, one crew saw a building burning fiercely. At the Dinard aerodrome many fires were started. New hangars on 4116 edge of the aerodrome were attacked, and are believed to have been hit. as flames and flashes could be seen. The yellow glow over the Dinard aerodrome was still visible whpn the Blenheims were miles away on the journey home. Factories Bombed Meanwhile, raids were being parried out on objectives in Germany. The Deutsche Metalwerkc Company, at Frankfurt-on-Main, which makes aircraft parts, was bombed, but very bad weather prevented the results being observed. Fire was seen to break out at an electric power station at Knapsack, near Cologne, after an attack delivered in dense drifting clouds.

Other targets in Germany bombed during the night included the synthetic oil plant at Bottrop, a high-explosive factory at Griesheim, near Frankfurt, and docks at the Rhine port of Duisberg. Railway junctions at Manheim and Coblenz were attacked and goods sidings at Hamm and Soest were bombed as usual. A series of heavy explosions resulted from another attack made by a single raider on the seaplane base at De Mok in Holland. A report from Zurich stales that the Air Ministry’s communique on the Royal Air Force raid on the aluminium works at Rheinfcldcn is accepted in Switzerland as proving the reliability of British official statements, not only because the works are near the frontier and the damage is easily visible, but it became quite apparent that the British bombers did more damage than the Air Ministry indicated. Although German sources in Amsterdam reported that British bombs today killed 16 people in the Netherlands, “The Times” states that suspicion is growing among the Dutch people that the Germans are deliberately causing explosions in Dutch towns. They are designed to induce the people to believe that the Royal Air Force is carrying out wanton bombardments.

The German-controlled Dutch wireless, reporting the bombing of nonmilitary objectives, twitted members of the Royal Air Force with bad aiming. Royal Air Force headquarters carefully checked the data and has reached the conplusion that British aeroplanes could not possibly have caused the damage. They were either nowhere in the vicinity or had not raided the unoccupied area on the stated nights.

Meuse Bridge Collapses.—The Official German News Agency says that the bridge across the Meuse at Huy. in Belgium, collapsed on market day. Five persons were killed and 15 injured.—Berlin, Aug. 24. Dutch Applicants for R.A.F.—A number of Dutch airmen are waiting here for the British Consulate to grant them visas to go to London to join the Royal Air Force. One said: “I do not know why, but the British seem suspicious ot our desire to tackle the Germans.”—Lisbon, August 24.