WORK OF THE R.A.F.

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 121, 23 May 1940, Page 12

WORK OF THE R.A.F.

COLUMNS ATTACKED

CHAOTIC SCENE

IMPEDING SUPPLIES

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received May 23, 2 p.m.) RUGBY, May 22

Renewed attacks were made on Tuesday by relays of bomber aircraft on the spearhead of the German thrust towards the Channel ports. From the air the head of the German advance presented at times a picture of utter chaos. Often bombing was made impossible because of the difficulty of identifying enemy column's among the streams of refugees overtaken by the enemy's rapid advance. On one enemy road reconnoitred at a height of 1000 feet some 40 or 50 green-painted German lorries were seen to be hopelessly intermingled with pedestrians, ambulances, civilian cars, tradesmen's vans, and bicycles. A few miles away a bridge over a river was packed with civilians' transport making its precarious way round a gaping bomb-hole, almost in the centre of the carriageway. At other points along the line of advance, where the enemy troop columns had drawn ahead of the civilian traffic, bombing objectives were clearly defined. A convoy of armoured lorries, -three miles long, was bombed by two lowflying Blenheims, and fires were seen to break out. among the vehicles immediately after-the attack. Another Blenheim, attacking a moving convoy of lorries in the same area, overshot its target, but saw its bombs register a direct hit on an enemy tank standing in a field close by. Fast-moving columns of light armoured fighting vehicles, escorted by a strong force of motor-cycle combinations, were intercepted on the main road north of Abbeville and successfully attacked. Many direct hits were observed on closely-packed vehicles and explosions were seen to break out. Another column of armoured vehicles, partially hidden in a wood nearer Abbeville, was heavily bombed by a formation of eleven Blenheims. More than 150 bombs were dropped on this one target alone, and salvoes were seen to fall close to each side of the column on the road and in the wood. Main roads and railways at strategic points were also bombed with the object of impeding the dispatch of supplies of. reinforcements to . the enemy's advanced positions. Throughout the day opposition was encountered from anti-aircraft batteries and from pompoms operating with mobile platforms, and from rifles of troop concentrations in the woods and beside the roads.