R.A.F.'s BIG SWEEP

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 39, 14 August 1940, Page 9

R.A.F.'s BIG SWEEP

Jutland to the Bay of Biscay

EXTENSIVE RAIDS

Twelve British Bombers Missing

(Brltlsb Official Wireless.)

(Received August 14, noon.)

RUGBY, August 13

An Air Ministry communique reports that medium R.A.F. bombers carried out daylight operations today over an area extending from Jutland to the Bay of Biscay. Objectives included enemy-occupied aerodromes at Waalhaven, Hingene, Caen, and Cherbourg, and a seaplane base at Brest. Twelve aircraft have not returned.

Targets attacked by R.A.F. bombers last night included an air-frame factory at Gotha and other objectives in north-west Germany and enemy-occupied territory in France and Holland. The attacks were pressed home in spite of ice and cloud.

Raids have also been made on 17 aerodromes and a seaplane base at Borkum. From these operations four of our aircraft have not returned. . ~

The harbour at Helder on the Dutch coast was bombed in co-operation with the Fleet Air Arm.

A tremendous explosion on the quayside, which probably denoted the hitting of an ammunition dump, followed a bombing attack on Helder. A series of smaller explosions were also noted, and when a Blenheim bomber was well out to sea on its return more explosions on the quay were seen. Many fires were also started in Helder harbour by other Blenheims . A stick of bombs fell across a dozen anti-aircraft ships in the harbour.

An aerodrome on the island of Texel was attacked and buildings set on fire. At Dekooy aerodrome a pilot dropped all his bombs on an airfield.