R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1940, Page 7

R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

BOMBING “INVASION” CENTRES DOCKS AND SHIPS HIT DEMONSTRATIONS OF EFFICIENCY [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

RUGBY, September 18. Steady and increasing pressure on the German-held Channel ports is being exerted by the Bomber Command of the R.A.F., which last night sent one of the largest forces of British bombers so far used in the war, to continue the relentless “forestalling offensive,” which for nearly a fortnight has now been going on against the German invasion plan. While the potential invasion spearhead—the French, Belgian, and Dutch Channel coasts, barges, docks, harbours, and gun emplacements—were receiving yet another terrific onslaught, other forces of R.A.F. bombers flew north-east, to pound the right wing of the enemy’s line in Hamburg, and to add further to the destruction in those strategic railway yards and junctions on Germany’s western frontier, which have already taken so much punishment. At Calais, a fire about a quarter of a mile long was left raging on the west side of the Basin Carnot, and a medley of lesser fires broke out near the south-west corner of another basin, and down the railway lines on the east of the Basin Carnot. Later, a salvo of bombs on the east side of the Basin Carnot caused an immediate, explosion, followed by about 60 others. The tide lock was straddled and heavily hit, and a line of bombs left a track of flames between the canal and the south-east corner of the Basin Carnot. About 10 o’clock, there was a heavy explosion on the dockside, and bombs were seen | bursting about the lock gates. The i sides of the Basin de Louest were also hit.

Big-gun emplacements in the region of Floringzplles, Harinzelles, and Franzelles, near Cap Gris Nez, were definitely identified by the raiders in brilliant moonlight, and were heavily attacked. Many of the pilots saw bombs exploding well within the target area. Large numbers of fires were also started at Dunkirk, at least six docks being hit. Boulogne had another tremendous attack, and one sortie just after midnight was particularly successful. Attacking through broken clouds, the aircraft released a quantity of bombs, which fell on barges and other ships .in the harbour. The flames blazing up from the burning barges and a warehouse were showing 20 miles out to sea, about three o’clock this, morning. Zeebrugge was fiercely attacked. Sticks of high explosives fell on the dock basin and across the harbour entrance, along the entrance channel, over the inner harbour, on the north basin, across the famous mole, and on a group of five cargo boats. HAVOC AT OSTEND. At Ostend, the outer and inner harbours, the main docks, and the south side of the Basin de Chouage were all hit, and a group of about 30 barges was bombed. Another wave of attackers hit the east end of the main docks, the Basin de Chasse, the timber wharves, the mole, the north lock gates, and the railway station. A big barge concentration in the harbour of Terneuzen, south-east of Flushing, was spotted, and one of the raiders, having lurked in the clouds for nearly an hour, awaiting the right moment, hurtled down on them in dive-attacks. His bombs fell right across the barges.’There was a series of explosions, then spreading flames, and, as he climbed to 10,000 feet, a last tremendous explosion. Other shallow dive-attacks resulted in hits along the sides of the entrance channel, and among the barges moored to the banks of the Ghent Canal. A crackle of minor explosions followed when barges, crowded together at the canal junction near the locks, were hit by othei’ sticks of heavy bombs and incendiaries.

The Antwerp docks again took heavy punishment. Incendiary bombs started great fires on the quays, while shipping lying in the Scheldt and' in the riverside dock was repeatedly hit. Flying suddenly out of the clouds, bomber after bomber dropped its salvoes on the port and ships, and then disappeared again into the clouds, while the guns thundered below. One bomber scored six direct hits on ships moored at the town quay. Over Flushing, a bomb-aimer who dropped a stick of high explosives, could not see the bursts, but remarked significantly that, after the attack, the barge concentration was seen z to have opened up and altered its shape. Here, two pilots waited in the clouds for some time, until the right moment, and then made dive-attacks, straddling the ships and docks with bombs.

One pilot bombed a string of four ships off the coast, as well as barges in the outer harbour.

Fires were seen in the docks at Hamburg, after they had been bombed early to-day. * Other objectives of the night’s operations included the railway yards at Krefeld Hamm, Osnabruck, Soest and Brussels. Yards at Stockum, north-east of Cologne, were also attacked, as were the aerodromes at Midlum and Wesermunde. It is thought that one of two large ships sunk by an R.A.F. bomber in Cherbourg harbour, last night, when a number of ships were attacked, was a destroyer. The other ship known to have been sunk is estimated ai 5000 tons. Much other damage was caused in the raid. When it ended,there was a ring of flames round the harbour from burning buildings and vessels. R A.F. bombers carried out daylight attacks at Ostend, on shipping at Zeebrugge, on a convoy and barges off the Dutch coast, and on the ,aerodrome at Ijmuiden. From all these operations, two bombers have not reported to their base. FIRES AND EXPLOSION. RUGBY, September 18. R.A.F. pilots who took part in the attack on the invasion ports, on Tues-

day night, describe the flying condiHtions as perfect. There was bright ;■ moonlight, with no cloud, over the ■ enemy’s coastline, and the British ; pilots could clearly make out the ■ docks and railways along the quay- . , side. One British pilot said: We got hardily any opposition at all. There were i a few searchlights, but nothing to worry about. It was just like bomb- ■ ing on practice raids. I should say . that there were dozens of fires burn- , ing at Ostend when we got there. It • was as light as day. We ran inland, ' turned round, and ran up on the railway sidings. Our first stick of bombs 1 started seven or eight fires. It looked ■ as though we had hit an ammunition ' train, for explosions broke out —all sorts of colours, white, red, and yellow. Then, as we turned to make a second run up, there was a terrific upheaval. Stuff came up like a gigantic mushroom, thin at the bottom and preadi.ng right out at the top. We were flying at 5000 feet, and the force of the explosion threw us up about 50 feet. FURTHER DETAILS. RUGBY, September 18. Medium bombers of the R.A.F. were again over Zeebrugge and Ostend, yesterday afternoon, states an Air Ministry bulletin. Direct hits were made on harbour installations at Ostend, and at Zeebrugge ships were bombed. One aircraft attacked four I barges off the coast, and direct hits on two of them are claimed. Another raider bombed a convoy which was sighted off The Hague. The new aerodrome at Ijmuiden was also attacked. At Zeebrugge, where a concentration of barges was bombed, two Messerschmitt 109’s engaged our aircraft, but both made off after an exchange of fire. FURTHER ATTACKS. RUGBY, September 18. According to Agency reports, the invasion bases on the French and Belgian coasts appeared to be heavily attacked again by the R.A.F. on the night and Thursday. A succession of flashes, almost continually at times, could be seen from the English coast. Reports state that the attacks met with a fierce flank fire. / GERMAN VERSION BERLIN, September 18. The Official News Agency states:— : In the course of Monday night, the : R.A.F. bombed the Antwerp working i class quarters, killing 45, and also ! damaged several farm houses in otheix , parts of Belgium. On the night of Tuesday a number of single British planes tried to penetrate Germany at a great height. German fighters attacked them, bringing down one and forcing the others to return. The News Agency stated that the R.A.F. lost 1,354 planes in August, . and 742 in the first fortnight of September. Officials claimed that German planes heavily bombed Tilbury, today, setting fire to docks and warehouses.