SMASHING BLOWS

Evening Star, Issue 23729, 9 November 1940, Page 11

SMASHING BLOWS

KRUPPS WORKS HAMMERED RAF.'S DEVASTATING TOUR CONCENTRATED ATTACK ON LAMENT Press Association —By Telegraph—Oopyrighf LONDON, November 8. (Received November 9, at 1 p.m.) The Air Ministry reports that R.A.P* bombers last night conducted an exceed* ingly heavy attack on the Krupps works at Essen, and also attacked oil targets in Germany, the invasion ports, and enemy aerodromes in France. This is the first time that the phrase “ exceedingly heavy ” has been used by the Air Ministry in describing a raid. Further details of the attacks on Ger« many and German-occupied territory show that the Bomber Command struck heavily at the Krupps armament and munition works at Essen, and inflicted severe damage on the factories there.

Other forces of aircraft attacked ths synthetic oil plant at Cologne, and set a large part on fire. The blast furnace* at Dusseldorf and Oberhausen, ths docks on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, the inland port of Duisberg, and shipping ia Dunkirk Harbour were also bombed.

The attacks on the Ruhr converted Germany’s largest armament factories into one huge sheet of fire. A great force of bombers for more than four hours rained down bombs on the workshops, machine sheds, and administrative buildings. Many tons of high explosives, including the. heaviest calibre bombs yet carried to Germany, and thousands of fire bombs made the buildings glow with white heat. The flames towered hundreds of feet in the sky.

The raid started at 2 a.m.. Every bomb from the first wave of attacker* landed in the factory area. Fires erupted in all parts, accompanied by great explosions. The following bombers straddled the works from end to end. Hundreds of fire-bombs converted the whole factory area into a mass of raging flames- engulfing long lines of buildings and lighting up the sky with a glow visible fop 60 miles.

Unit after unit followed in a long procession, unloading bombs into the blaze. At one period the explosion* were continuous for three-quarters of an hour.

Another strong force made a largescale two-hour attack on the important synthetic oil plants of Rheilesche and Braunkohlen, near Cologne, setting fire to an area two miles long and a mile wide. The blaze was visible fop 100 miles. INTENSIVE BOMBARDMENT.

Aircraft of the Coastal Command and the Bomber Command carried out a concentrated attack on the submarine base at Lorient. Several aerodromes in Germany and enemy-occupied territory were also attacked. None of the British aircraft is missing.

Details of the heavy bombardment of Lorient, the enemy-occupied submarine base on the Brittany coast, were given in an Air Ministry news bulletin. The target areas included the power station, naval workshops, and barracks near the dry dock and the shipbuilding slipways and railway approaches to the base. Many tons of bombs were dropped on these objectives, and the fires startedwere still visible when the aircraft had been flying for half an hour on tha homeward journeys. Notwithstanding the powerful enemy ground defences, large concentrations of searchlights, and attempts at interception by fighters, the raiding v force returned without casualties. AERODROMES RAIDED. Coastal Command aircraft bombed the aerodromes at Abbeville and Lannion. Buildings in the Abbeville landing ground were set on fire, and at Lannion bombs fell on enemy aircraft taking off.

REGENT OF HUNGARY

ASSASSINATION PLOT BUDAPEST, November 8. ' (Received November 9, at 2 p.m.) The Attorney-General revealed a plot to murder Admiral Hortby and fore* the release of Nazi leaders. He said the plotters intended to seize an arm* factory and carry out'the plan, appoint, ing M. Szalasi Prime Minister.

ROUBLE MURDER

ENGLISHMAN AND WIFE SHOT SINGAPORE, November 8. (Received November 9, at 8 a.m.)’ Mr Charlton Maxwell, aged 68, and his wife were shot dead with Mr Maxwell’s own shotgun by robbers wh» have not yet been arrested. They entered his bungalow at Lumut Perak ia the early hours of Thursday. Mr Charlton was a son of the data Mr William Maxwell, a former acting governor.

HITLER AT MUNICH

EXPECTED TG MAKE SPEECH TO-DAY STOCKHOLM, November 7. The ‘ Aftonbladet’s ’ Berlin corro* spondent says Hitler is expected speak at Munich ou Saturday.