HANOVER AGAIN BOMBED

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 119, 13 February 1941, Page 8

HANOVER AGAIN BOMBED

R.A.F. Night Attacks BREMEN ALSO Successive Raids On Important Targets LONDON, February 12. Royal Air Force bombers were again over north-western Germany last night and the important industrial centre of Hanover came in for another visit. Bremen was also successfully attacked. The Royal Air Force is thus continuing the plan of successive night raids on important targets. So many fires were started during Monday’s 'raid over Germany that it became impossible to the British observers to count them. The planes were greeted with a tremendous antiaircraft barrage, but in spite of all efforts oii the part of the enemy gunners, tons of incendiary and high-ex-plosive bombs were dropped on oil plants. The oil depots -at Rotterdam was subjected to another long attack and several fires were started. British planes bombed German naval bases, and the harbour at Ostend received particular attention, several large fires being started. German air-raids over Britain last night were only slight. A few bombeis appeared over east and south-east England and a small number of people were injured, in addition to a few houses being damaged. Concentrated Attack. (British Official Wireless.) ' RUGBY, February 11. A heavy, concentrated, and very successful attack on Hanover and other targets in north-west Germany and occupied territories is described in an Air Ministry communique, which 3 “A very heavy attack was made last night on the industrial area of Hanover by Bomber Command aircraft. Of the force employed in this operation, more than DO per cent, reached their objectives. “The attack, which lasted six hours, was carried out in weather, which was poor at first but steadily improved as the night advanced. “In the opening stages fires were started north, south and west of the target area. These showed the later arrivals where to drop their heavycalibre high-explosive bombs. By the time the last of our aircraft had left, fires too numerous to be counted were raging throughout the bombed area. “Another smaller force attacked the oil installations and the docks at Rotterdam. Large fires and explosions were caused. 1 Several other targets in Germany and two aerodromes in Holland were also visited. ‘Tn addition, aircraft of the same command successfully attacked Boulogne harbour, which had been previously bombed in daylight. Coastal Commun'd aircraft bombed Cherbourg and Ostend, where large fires broke out. “From all these operations four ot our aircraft are missing.” Daylight Sweeps. An Air Ministry communique says that three sweeps were carried out by the R.A.F. on Boulogne, Dunkirk, and Calais, when two enemy aircraft were destroyed. The sweeps were carried out in daylight, although not on a large scale. Reports show that bombing" of docks and shipping was most effective. Little fighter opposition was encountered, but in the attack on Calais there was a considerable amount of anti-aircraft fire. Three K.A.F. fighters are missing. The R.A.F. raid on north-west Germany last night coincided with one of the longest periods of radio silence of many German wireless stations. The majority went off the air at S p.m., But radio stations in eastern and southeastern Germany continued until the early hours of this morning. Royal Air Force night fighters so ‘severely damaged two Heinkel Ill’s in combat off the east coast last night that both were last seen disappearing out to sea only a few feet above the water, apparently out of control, says the Air Ministry news service. Both are claimed to have been probably destroyed. The pilots, who could not see the final results of their attack as they would have done in daylight, and so have to be content with claiming only probable successes, belong to the same squadron. Their combats occurred within 15 minutes of one another, though many miles apart. Each sighted a number of planes flying below in clear moonlight. When they dived they were able to approach within close range before opening fire. The first to attack was a flight lieutenant, who fired three quick bursts, the first of which hit the centre section of a Heinkel and the second one of the engines, while the third, from only 15 yards’ range, went into the cockpit. The Heinkel immediately began to lose height. The flight lieutenant followed it down to within 100 feet of the sea, when it disappeared as he pulled away to avoid crashing himself. The second enemy aircraft which is claimed as a “probable” also had three bursts of machine-gun fire sent into it, and it immediately began to dive toward the sea, eventually disappearing into the thick, low-lyinxt haze.