R.A.F. BOMBINGS OF GERMANY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 31, 5 August 1940, Page 7

R.A.F. BOMBINGS OF GERMANY

MORE THAN 100 TOWNS THE LATEST ATTACKS (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.) (Received August 5, 11 a.m.) LONDON, August 4. The "News of the World" reports that the R.A.F. has so far bombed over a hundred towns in Eastern Germany and carried out over a thousand raids and dropped nearly 400 bombs in Germany and German-occupied territory for every bomb dropped on Britain. (British Official Wireless.) (Received August 5, 1 p.m.) RUGBY, August 4. An Air Ministry communique issued tonight states: — "Yesterday bombers of the R.A.F. continued to "harass aerodromes occupied by the enen.y in Holland and France, including Schipol, Haamstede, and Abbeville. During the night oil tanks at Rotterdam and oil plants at Bottrop and Gelsenkirchen, in the Ruhr, and at Monheim, in the Rhineland, were attacked. Other targets were aerodromes in Holland and Western Germany and railway communications in Westphalia, the Ruhr, and the Rhineland. A heavy attack was also made on the naval base at Kiel. From all these operations three of our aircraft failed to return."

Further details of the R.A.F. attacks announced in the Air Ministry communique show that some of the most important sources of Germany's synthetic oil supply were attacked last night by the R.A.F. Since the first attack on Germany's oil supplies the enemy has been forced to greatly strengthen his ground defences. Last night, besides firing at the raiders, many shells were aimed at parachute flares which were dropped to illuminate the target. The raiders were missed, but some of the flares were shot down.

The docks at Kiel were located by other aircraft in spite of poor visibility. Some of the bombs set fire to naval buildings. At Husum, west of Kiel, buildings of aerodromes were damaged, the tarmac hit, and anti-air-craft fire was abi'^tly stopped after a rear-gunner had replied with 200 rounds. Large goodsyards in the northern part of Cologne were hit with high-explosive and incendiary bombs by an aircraft which cruised above its objective for about an hour. Aerodromes and seaplane bases were also attacked.

In daylight raids on Saturday the aerodromes at Schipol arjd Haamstede were again attacked.. , iAt Abbeville one of our bombers, flowing half an hour after the initial attack, bombed a stores park and machine-gunned troops and a convoy of lorries from only 50 feet. Between 'Gravelines and Dunkirk an armoured train was discovered and attacked, and barges in the canal east of Bourbourg, near Gravelines, was struck with salvos of bombs.

Fewer enemy fighters were encountered than on the previous day, but the ground defences were strong and accurate.