BRITISH BOMBERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 9, 10 July 1940, Page 8

BRITISH BOMBERS

HEAVY DAMAGE DONE

STORY BY PILOT

(British Official Wireless.) (Received July 10, 2.30 p.m.) RUGBY, July 9. In the course of R.A.F. raids over Germany and German-occupied territory attacks were made on an aeroj drome at Evere, near Brussels, and oil refineries at Homburg. An enemy supply ship was attacked near Aalborg and is believed to have been hit by a salvo of heavy bombs, some of which also burst in the harbour and on the wharves.

A series of raids in the afternoon caused considerable damage to packed barges on the canal system in western Holland. Of a group of 17 seen on a canal some miles from Zwolle at least four were directly hit after a lowlevel attack, and two of them burst into flames. Wreckage was later seen floating on the canal. Other barges were hit near Amsterdam. At other points on Dutch canals i groups of barges were bombed and i wharves adjoining basins were struck with high-explosive bombs. Other bombers attacked enemyoccupied aerodromes in Belgium and northern France. At Soissons heavy bombs were seen bursting among groups of aircraft ■ standing on the aerodrome and, at Douai, a salvo of bombs hit several runways. AMMUNITION ON FIRE. Early on Tuesday morning LockheedHudsons of the Coastal Command attacked an ammunition dump near Bergen and left it in flames and also damaged an important bridge. A direct hit was scored on the ami munition dump. The explosion was so heavy that it flung a Hudson machine about in the air. Other direct hits wrecked the main building in which the ammunition was stored and there was a heavy explosion. Many fires were started which were constantly increased by further explosions amid the flames.

| The Hudsons then turned their atten- ! tion to the bridge and registered hits j which caused severe damage. One ! bomb burst on a concrete slipway at j the water's edge. The blast sent a building at the top of the slipway I crumbling into ruins. i STAVANGER EXPLOIT. I The pilot of one of the bombers which attacked Stavanger on Tuesi day, reporting on the raid, said that ! each of the three aircraft in his flight ! dropped their bombs on the target ! and, though the anti-aircraft defences i were so active that it was not possible to observe the results, the flight remained intact. They were later attacked by German fighters and the rear gunner of the port aircraft was killed and the plane subsequently shot down. :.

The aircraft on the starboard side was also shot down. He then attempted to join up with another flight of Blenheims, but his plane was too damaged and he made for home and eventually made a forced landing at a coastal aerodrome.

During the action his air observer shot down one Messerschmitt and possibly damaged several others, while the rear gunner damaged another Messerschmitt.