BARGES SUNK

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 9, 10 July 1940, Page 7

BARGES SUNK

DUTCH CANALS BOMBED

R.A.F. PLANES ABROAD

NAVAL BASES HIT

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

(Received July 10, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 9,

An Air Ministry communique states: "Yesterday R.A.F. bombers made daylight attacks on concentrations of enemy barges on Dutch canals at Zwolle, Hatten, and Weest, and also at Elberg and Delft. Many barges were sunk, wrecked, or set on fire.

"Other aircraft bombed an enemy supply ship in the Danish harbour of Aalborg.

"Our bombers also attacked aerodromes in enemy occupation at Soissons and Douai, and aircraft personnel and transports were damaged.

"Aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked and damaged enemy patrol vessels off the Danish coast. All our aircraft returned safely.

"Last night E.A.F. bombers attacked the naval bases at Kiel and Wilhelmshaven where damage was done to the dockyards and an enemy warship set on fire

"Further damage was done to oil refineries at Homburg and goods y.ards at Hamm. Aerodromes at Waalhaven, Amsterdam, and Brussels were also bombed. One of our planes is missing.

"This morning a formation of our bombers attacked Bergen, where an ammunition dump was set on fire and damage done to a ship and a seaplane slipway. "Another formation of R.A.F. bombers attacked aircraft lined up on the Sola aerodrome at Stavanger. Our attack was pressed home in the face of strong opposition from enemy fighters and ground defences. One enemy fighter was shot down. Seven of our aircraft failed to return."

A special communique issued in Berlin states: "Twelve Blenheims tried to attack Stavanger aerodrome this morning. Only a few bombs were dropped, causing slight material damage. All the British planes,' were brought down. There were no German losses." In London it is authoritatively stated that -the German claim that twelve British bombers were shot down at Stavanger is untrue. V (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 8. The naval dockyards at Wilhelmshaven were again heavily bombed and aerodromes and railway junctions in many parts of Germany were attacked in the course of operations last night by aircraft of the R.A.F. Bomber Command.

In the Wilhelmshaven raid, which began shortly after midnight and lasted for half an hour, naval barracks were hit and other buildings damaged, and a large fire was started in the main dockyard. High-explosive bombs' of heavy calibre were' seen to burst in many parts of the target area, in which several warships were lying. Rail communications over a great area of northern Germany were seriously disorganised by bombing attacks on railway junctions and sidings at Osnabruck, Soest, Hamm, Gremberg, Heidelberg, Duisburg, and Ruhrorthafen. Searchlight activity was particularly intense at the inland port of Ruhrorthafen, on the Rhine, but the crew of one raider successfully bombed the railway junction there. Two munition factories near Ludwigshafen were also raided during the night, and in both cases highexplosive bombs were seen to burst within' the target areas.

In a series of widespread raids on air bases in enemy-occupied territories bombs were dropped on aerodromes at Brussels and Rotterdam, on the Westerland aerodrome on the. Island of Sylt, and on the seaplane base and land aerodrome at Hornum.