KIEL ATTACKED

Evening Star, Issue 23833, 13 March 1941, Page 9

KIEL ATTACKED

BOMBERS FIND THEIR TARGET FIRES AND HEAVY EXPLOSIONS MANY STICKS ON SHIPBUILDING YARDS (British Official Wireless.) Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, March 12. (Received March 13, at noon.) An Air Ministry communique states: Last night aircraft of the Bomber Command successfully attacked Kiel. Flashes, heavy explosions, and the glare of a large fire were observed. The docks at Bremerhaven and two aerodromes in North-west Germany were also bombed, as well as an oil storage plant in Rotterdam and a factory near Utrecht. In the course of the offensive night patrols of aircraft of the Fighter Command destroyed an enemy aircraft on an aerodrome in Northern France. Aircraft of the Coastal Command on patrol yesterday destroyed an enemy aircraft. None of our planes is missing from any of these operations. CLEAR VISIBILITY. Describing last night’s attack on Kiel, the Air Ministry news service states: The aircraft of the Bomber Command flew through thick cloud until they reached the Friesian Islands, There the sky cleared and very soon the ground was moonlit, so that the pilots were able to read their way to Germany, Kiel was visible from a distance of 50 miles. At Kiel the docks and town stood out in such sharp relief that the pilots could see that some small creeks were icebound, though the main waterways were clear.

In spite of a concentrated barrage from this well-defended naval base, the pilots took their time, and many were over their targets for over half an hour. In the clear weather great care was taken to ensure hitting the target and to „ leave no doubt about.the result. Many sticks of bombs were seen to burst on the shipbuilding yard, as on tho other docks. One pilot counted five bursts right across the docks, the first exactly at the' water’s edge. In the shipbuilding yard a large explosion followed the bombing, and there was an extensive fire in the industrial centre of the city. Attacks were also made on Bremer-lia-ven, where a number of warehouses were hit, and soon afterwards volumes of smoke rose high into the air. LATEST COLOGNE RAID INDUSTRIAL CENTRE ATTACKED CLEAR WEATHER HELPS THE R.A.F. Proas Association —By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, March 11. The clear weather over Cologne enabled the British raiders last night to continue their attacks on the industrial centre of the city and the railway communications at the Hohenzollern bridge over the Rhine, says an Air Ministry communique. The moonlight and clear sky left the town entirely exposed. The raid lasted a little over an hour, beginning at about 9.30. Hits on the railways at the ends of the Hohenzollern bridge were reported by one aircraft. Not long afterwards the pilot of another aircraft reported fires where his bombs had fallen. On both sides of the Rhine fires and explosions were seen among the industrial buildings and goods yards. After the recent attacks on Cologne it is natural that the city should be vigorously defended, and throughout the raid the British bombers had to contend with incessant anti-aircraft fire. In the bright moonlight the balloon barrage was readily detected, and the rear gunners of one aircraft fired several bursts at a number of balloons. BRITISH PLANE’S MISHAP COMES DOWN AT SEA NEAR GALWAY DUBLIN, March 12. (Received March 13 at noon.) It is officially announced that a British plane came down into the sea this morning in the neighbourhood of Galway City. Two members of the crew baled out and were interned. Bombs were dropped from an unidentified plane early this morning near Dardonagh (County Donegal). GERMAN REFUGEES IN CANADA MANY HEW INDUSTRIES STARTED , MONTREAL, March 11. The Director of Immigration in Canada estimates that refugees from Germany have brought £6,125,000 into Canada and started 100 new industries. Only key men may be imported for industries, otherwise Canadian labour must bo used.