RUHR & WEST GERMANY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 150, 21 December 1940, Page 11

RUHR & WEST GERMANY

R.A.F. BOMBERS

SUCCESSFUL RAIDS

{Rritigh Official Wireless.)

(Received December £l, 11.15 a.m.)

RUGBY, December 20,

Royal Air Force bombers attacked several targets in the Ruhr and | western Germany last night, and bad weather did not prevent the success of the operations. An Air Ministry communique states that the objectives included synthetic oil plants, power stations, and a railway junction. "In the Duisberg area two large fires were observed and an oil target near Cologne was set ablaze. At Dusseldorf several large fires were caused and anti-aircraft positions were bombed. "At Essen heavy bombs were dropped and two explosions were caused. "Targets at Bonn were also attacked from a low level and one very large fire was observed. "Yesterday during daylight the Coastal Command successfully bombed the aerodromes of Le Touquet and Maupertus. "From all the operations all our planes returned safely." The resource with which the British j bomber crews tackle bad weather is well shown in an Air Ministry news j bulletin, giving details of the raids on I the Ruhr. "The weather over Germany would have baffled any navigators but those of the R.A.F., it is stated, and if the aircraft had not been built to stand every test it would have been impossible to attempt any raid at all. The bombers were detailed to attack the synthetic oil plants at Gelsenkirchen, the power station near Cologne, and other objectives in the Ruhr. Wherever they went the pilots told the same story of cold and cloud. Many reported having to climb or descend in I order to avoid icing. Some of the aircraft were over Germany as early as 7 p.m. and others came in, at intervals until the early hours of the morning, but at no time was the weather anything but unfavourable.

At Duisberg'-Ruhrort, there were some intervals when the pilots could see the ground. "We had flown for a very long way," one of them said, "with nothing but a sea of cloud beneath. When the navigator told us we were there, we circled round for about twenty minutes. It was a distinct score for the navigator, because there was Duisberg-Ruhrort showing quite clearly below. The hole in the clouds was small, but enough for our purpose. We dropped incendiary bombs at once and then high-explosives."

A large number of incendiary bombs and high-explosive bombs was dropped on the synthetic oil plants at Gelsehkirchen. Bursts were seen on the target and at least two large fires were started. High-explosive bombs were seen to explode on the power station near Cologne and the nearby railway junction was raided. A lowlevel attack was made on the goods yards at Bonn, and goods yards at Munchen-Gladbach were also attacked.