TONS OF BOMBS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 136, 10 June 1940, Page 9

TONS OF BOMBS

GERMAN CAMP HIT

\ ALLIED AIRMEN ACTIVE

(U.P.A. and',. Official Wireless.)

LONDON, June 8,

It is officially statad that.-■ Royal . Air\ Force planes roving the Somme battlefront dropped more than 800 highexplosive and incendiary bombs in three minutes on a vast German ea» campment- at Arraines, between the Rivers Somme and Bresle.

Three hours earlier bombers attacked railways, roads, and mechanised columns in the Arraines area. Others repeatedly bombed the area between Le Treport and Amiens. Many direct hits were registered in' the centre of

Vismes and roads were blocked near Miannay. The bombers encountered considerable fighter opposition.

One pilot reported fires extending 50 miles behind the German army.

The French Air Ministry reports that French planes dropped over 100 tons of bombs on German tanks last* night and a further 100 today. <

French bombers destroyed bridges; over the Somme last night and put motorised units and supply columns into disorder. Fighters annihilated marching formations with bombs.

Tonight's! French communique states: "Our air force has been intensely active, vigorously harassing ! the enemy, whose armoured units were again attacked by cannon. Tanks on new grounds have been bombed and I road, convoys hit and dispersed. More than 150 machines, protected by British and French fighters, dropped" an enormous tonnage of bombs on columns and enemy concentrations ia the early afternoon." | . THE MAIN OBJECT. Tonight's British Air Ministry communique states: "Throughout yester* day and last night the effort of tha R.A.F. again was mainly directed to the support of the Allied armies y^in. France. Many reconnaissances were carried out and on the information obtained a large number of bombing sorties tvere undertaken. Lines of communication, ammunition and petrol dumps, troop concentrations, and columns of armoured fighting vehicles were.repeatedly attacked. One,enemy aircraft was shot down and one of our medium bombers is missing. . .

"These operations were continued at night on key points behind the enemy's lines. Much damage was caused to the railhead at Hirson, where the woods were set on fire and many explosions were caused. Here troop concentrations were machine-gunned. At Abbeville many explosions and fires were caused and extensive damage was done to the aerodrome.

"Our fighters were active over tha battle zone throughout yesterday, and throughout today similar operations have been in progress. The report* so far received indicate that our medium bombers have inflicted heavy damage on the enemy's mbtorised forces." " : ■■ '

The K;A.F. destroyed 17 • German planes yesterday during the raids on enemy troop concentrations and petrol dumps. Twelve of our fighters are' missing.

An Air Ministry announcement states that a large storage plant at Delnjen* horst and refineries south from Hwaburg were the principal" objectives <n the raid on German, oil supplies. Many fires broke out after 70 bombs had been dropped on one refinery. Oil tanks near Ghent which were still burning from an earlier raid were again attacked and again set on fire. Other planes attacked railway centres. Loaded wagons on sidings at a good* yard were extensively damaged an 4 a tunnel south from Aix-la-ChapeUt collapsed after repeated bombings. Damage was inflicted over a widf area on the western battlefield. Ove? 100 bombs were dropped on the Hirtott railway junction, B"'