DUISBURG AGAIN BOMBED

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23412, 20 August 1941, Page 7

DUISBURG AGAIN BOMBED

Another Raid On

Cologne

DUNKIRK DOCKS ATTACKED

(Received August 19, 11 p.m.)

(U.P.A,-8.0.W.) LONDON, Aug. 19,

The Royal Air Force again attacked industrial centres in western Germany last night. The main targets were Cologne and Duisburg, where big fires were started. The docks at Dunkirk were also bombed.

The German radio, admitting the Royal Air Force raids ori western Germany, said bombs were dropped on several towns.

These raids followed daylight attacks on enemy shipping and on targets in occupied territory. The following Air Ministry communique gives details of the daylight operations:—"Blenheim aircraft of the Bomber Command in the afternoon bombed and sank three enemy patrol vessels off the Dutch coast. Two attacks on objectives in northern France were made by other Blenheims, which were accompanied by strong fighter escorts. An industrial plant at Lille and other targets were bombed. The fighter escorts destroyed three enemy fighters. "Other fighters carried out a sweep over the coast of northern Brittany and attacked an aerodrome and enemy troops with cannon and machine-gun fire.

“From these operations three of our aircraft are mfssing.”

Two Belgian pilots shot down two of the three Messerschmitt 109’s destroyed. Six Messerschmitts attacked a Belgian squadron when it was flying a little below 30,000 feet. A dogfight followed and a Messerschmitt was hit by the cannon fire of one of the Belgians, who had had a month’s experience in these offensive operations. A little later the squadron saw several Messerschmitts below it and dived to attack. Ohe of the older type of Messerschmitts was hit and shed large pieces of its structure when the guns of the second Belgian held it in a sustained burst of fire.

Many of the fighter squadrons which took part in this operation—the second in which bombers were escorted to attack targets in northern France during the day—saw considerable.numbers of enemy aircraft, but they reported that on the whole they were reluctant to engage. The third Messerschmitt destroyed was shot down by a Czech pilot. He saw it go spinning down in flames. In the same sweep this pilot saw another enemy fighter which he attacked spin down, but he lost sight of it in clouds and was therefore able to claim it only as ‘‘probably destroyed.” Flying conditions were again bad on Sunday night, when more than 100 British bombers carried out raids on Bremen and Duisburg, in the Rhineland. They left behind them a blazing trail of ruin. All but one of the British machines returned. In future -the number of British bombers taking part in raids on Germany will be announced, "whenever possible, except when such information would be of value to the enemy. German Accounts of Damage Official Nazi excuses for concealing news of the effects of the British air offensive against Germany show a change of tone from the Luftwaffe’s boastfulness earlier in the war and though the Germans now imitate the commonsense British policy since the start of the air attacks on Britain, the official statements being Issued are likely to prove cold comfort to the German people, who have been guaranteed protection by Reichsmarshal Goering against aerial onslaughts. A writer in the “Deutschlander Zeitung” says: “We fully understand that the German population cannot be informed of the extent to which German towns are suffering. We do not mind neighbours of those who lose their homes knowing' the facts. This is unavoidable, but the German High Command prefers not to make the facts known throughout Germany as this would probably give the enemy valuable information as to what part to bomb next.

“When the time arrives making it possible to inform the German people of the results of British bombing they will learn that the actual destruction falls behind British expectations.’’ A message from Zurich says that in an article in the “Neufc Zuercher Zeitung” a writer who has recently arrived from Germany declares that new British bombs are fitted with a propeller and that the people of Berlin hope they are sea torpedoes which are being used because British factories have been destroyed and Britain’s stocks of bombs exhausted.

Enemy operations over Britain last night were on a small scale and were almost entirely confined to areas on the east coast of England and Scotland, states an official communique. Bombs were dropped at a few points. Some damage was done at a place in north-east Scotland and at two places in north-east England, where there were some casualties, including a small number killed.

One German bomber came in over the south-east coast of Britain yesterday morning, but was driven out to sea by fighters. It is revealed that Hull was the town raided on Sunday night. Nine people are reported to have been killed, and several were seriously injured when bombs fell on houses in different areas. A large number of raiders approached, but only a few got through. Eventually a large force of fighters dispersed the attack. One raider was shot down. PRIVILEGES OF TRADE UNIONS RESTORATION AFTER THE WAR (8.0. W.) RUGBY, August 18 At the annual conference of the Transport and General Workers’ Union at Llandudno, the chairman, Mr H. J. Edwards, emphasised his conviction that "this is a people’s war and even if greater sacrifices are demanded in the days to come I have great confidence that the people will respond.” Mr Edwards added: “It is true that we have been called upon temporarily to sacrifice some of our hard-won rights and privileges. Guarantees, however, have been secured for the full restoration of trade union privileges at the conclusion of hostilities, though I would say there are many things we have got rid of which we would not wish to see returned. I have in piind particularly the idea of work for a full week’s wages, a principle for which our movement fought long and strenuously. To me, as a docker, it has been a source of great satisfaction to live and see the introduction of principles designed to abolish casual employment m dockland. I feel that in this industry we have In fact laid down principles which will go beyond the war period and create a basis upon which to build security and continuity of employment in the days that lie ahead.’’ HALIFAX TO RETURN TQ LONDON WASHINGTON. August 19. The British Ambassador in Washington (Lord Halifax) paid his final visit to Mr Sumner Welles, the United States Under-Secretary of State, to-day. He returns to London for consultations some time this week.