BOMBING RELAYS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20254, 23 May 1940, Page 7

BOMBING RELAYS

BRITISH PLANES GERMAN SPEARHEAD PICTURE OF CHAOS VEHICLES DESTROYED ROADS AND RAILWAYS (Eire. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 2.45 p.m. RUGBY, May 22. Renewed attacks were made on Tuesday by relays of British bomber aircraft on the spearhead of the German thrust towards the Channel ports.

From the air the head of the German advance presented at times a picture of utter chaos. Often bombing was made impossible because of the difficulty of identifying the enemy columns among the streams of refugees overtaken by the enemy’s rapid advance. On one enemy road reconnoitred at a height of 1000 ft some 40 or 50 green-painted German lorries were seen to be hopelessly intermingled with pedestrians, ambulances, civilian cars, tradesmen’s van and bicycles. A few miles away a road bridge over a river was packed with civilians and transport making a precarious way round a gaping bomb hole almost in the centre of the carriageway. Convoy Three Miles Long At other points along the line of advance where enemy troop columns had drawn ahead of the civilian traffic the bombing objectives were clearly defined. A convoy of armoured lorries three miles long was bombed by two lowflying Blenheims and fires were seen to break out among the vehicles immediately after tlie attack. Another Blenheim attacking a moving convoy of lorries in the same area overshot the target, but saw its bombs register a direct hit on an enemy tank standing in a field close by. Fast-moving columns of light armoured fighting vehicles, escorted by stronfi forces of motor-cycle combinations were intercepted on a. main road north of Abberville and successfully attacked. Many direct hits were observed qn the closely-packed vehicles and explosions were seen to break out. Refuge in Wood Another column of armoured vehicles partially hidden in a wood nearer Abbeville was heavily bombed by a formation of 11 Blenheims. tMore than 150 bombs were dropped on this one target alone and the salyoes were seen to fail close on each side of the column and on the road and in the wood. Main roads and railways at strategic points were also bombed with the object of impeding the despatch of supplies and reinforcements to the enemy’s advanced positions. Throughout the day opposition was encountered from anti-aircraft batteries and pompoms operating with mobile platforms and from the rifles of troop concentrations in woods and beside roads.