OIL PLANTS BLASTED

Evening Star, Issue 23737, 19 November 1940, Page 7

OIL PLANTS BLASTED

CONCENTRATED BOMBING RAID RAF. STRIKES TELLING BLOWS ONE GREAT CONFLAGRATION (British Official Wireless.) Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, November 18. (Received November 19, at 9.50 a.m.) An Air Ministry communique states: The main force of our bombers’ attack last night was on the oil refineries at Gelsenkirchen. Other aircraft bombed industrial targets in the Ruhr, rail and rivfer communications in Western Germany, the naval base at Lorient, in Britanny, and aerodromes in occupied territory. All odr planes returned safely. The R.A.F. began its attacks on the main target of last night’s raids at an exceptionally early hour, says the Air Ministry News Service. The main objectives were concentrated blows on the Scholven synthetic oil plant at Buer, in the neighbourhood of Gelsenkirchen. This is one of Germany’s most important hydrogenation plants for the manufacture of synthetic aviation petrol from coal, and is designed to produce 300,000 metric tons annually. The first British aircraft arrived before 7 o’clock. Cloud made it difficult to find and observe the factory buildings, but these first squadrons remained for nearly an hour, during which time they found opportunity to place many high explosives and nearly 1,000 incendiaries on the target. All but one of the pilots reported a fire and saw a magnificent, conflagration' which quickly spread till it covered an area of half a square mile. It was still burning fiercely 15 minutes after the attack. After about an hour’s interval more bombers arrived over the same plant. They found the weather far from perfect. There was a certain amount of ground haze. The anti-aircraft fire was well aimed, but not particularly intense. There was a great concentration of searchlights. The second raid lasted nearly two hours. Many fires and explosions were seen. Direct hits were noticed on various large buildings. Another synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen, only second in importance to the Scholven refinery, was raided at intervals from soon after dusk till fairly late in the night. Here there were thick ground haze and cloud during certain periods, though at other times the weather, apart from the haze, was quite favourable.

Six fires resulted >from this attack and explosions were caused by the fires. Yet another oil refinery was attacked towards midnight. Though there was cloud this was not enough to prevent observation. The bursts from one aircraft were seen to cause two major explosions five minutes after the bombs had fallen. About 500 incendiaries were dropped, and many subsequent fires were seen. VARIETY OF TARGETS. The railway junction north-west of Gelsenkirchen was bit with heavy high explosives, and at another railway station among the Gelsenkirchen collieries —for Gelsenkirchen is the chief seam coal mining centre in the Ruhr Basin as well as the locality of many oil refineries—incendiaries started a long lire and a smaller fire which were seen to be spreading rapidly.. The railway yards near the main railway station at Gelsenkirchen were raided. Bombs were seen to straddle the western end of the yards. The aerodrome at Buer, near Gelsenkirchen, was attacked and incendiaries started fires, but a ground haze made observation of the full results impossible. Other aircraft were operating far and wide over Western Germany. Five large fires were started among the wharves at Duisberg-Ruhrort, the inland port of the Rhine, and in spite of a thick haze the R.A.F. pressed home the attack. Many fires broke out, followed by formidable explosions. Fires and explosions at Hamm were observed through a gap in the clouds. The aerodrome north of Dusseldorf was also heavily bombed, three fires merging into one large blaze. A number of other industrial targets were attacked. Bombs were also dropped in the dock at Don Helder and Lorient, starting fires.

LONG-RANGE GUNS CROSS-CHANNEL BOMBARDMENT LONDON, November 17. German long-range guns heavily bombarded the Dover area to-night. Meanwhile the R.A.F. attacked invasion ports on the coast between Calais and Boulogne, which were frequently illuminated by flashes. British guns replied to the Germans across the straits, mid hundreds who watched the thunderous exchange saw the vivid orange flashes of guns on botli sides of the straits. The explosions of shells rocked Channel towns. The shelling lasted three hours. VESSELS OVERDUE CREWS REGARDED AS L9ST LONDON. November 18. (Received November 19, at 8 a.m.) The Minister of Shipping has issued the names of 354 members of the merchant navy and fishing fleets who are presumed to have lost their lives, as their vessels are overdue.