R.A.F. BOMBERS ACTIVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 4, 4 July 1940, Page 11

R.A.F. BOMBERS ACTIVE

SERIES OF RAIDS

ENEMY TERRITORY

MANY OBJECTIVES

(U.P.A. and Official Wireless.) (Received July 4, 11 a.m.)

LONDON, July 3,

An Air Ministry communique states: "R.A.F. bombers continued their attacks on Tuesday night on targets, including aerodromes in Denmark and Belgium, communications in the Ruhr and Westphalia, objectives at Hamburg and Dortmund, and docks at Zeebrugge. All the aircraft returned safely. Coastal Command aircraft today bombed enemy bases at Texel and Ymuiden in Holland, in the course of which they shot down an enemy fighter without loss. One of our aircraft failed to return from reconnaissance yesterday."

An Air Ministry bulletin contains details of the shooting down by the rear gunner of a Hudson Coastal Command aircraft of a Messerschmitt 109 fighter over Holland today. The first that the pilot, navigator, and wireless operator in front of the Hudson knew of the gunner's success was when they saw the flaming, smoking fighter pass underneath them and go spinning to the earth. The Hudson had just carried out a bombing attack on a target near Amsterdam, where a column of smoke had shot up as the aircraft flew off. The Messerschmitt appeared a few moments later and manoeuvred into position for an attack. Before it could start its dive it had fallen a victim to the Hudson's gunner.

A German communique states:— "British planes again bombed Holland and northern and western Germany last night, doing little damage. There were a number of casualties. One German plane is missing."