ABOVE GERMANY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20328, 17 August 1940, Page 8

ABOVE GERMANY

BRITISH BOMBERS SALVOES ON TARGETS OIL STORAGE PLANTS CHAIN OF FIRES DAMAGE TO ’DROMES (Eire. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.15 p.m. RUGBY. Aug. Hi. Fires and heavy explosions followed a raid by Blenheims on the docks at lielder last night. Seme of the Blenheims, flying very high, found cloud obscuring the target. They dived through breaks and saw tlie docks clearly lit up by the moon. Salvoes of heavy bombs burst on the quayside. Fires could be seen as the Blenheims turned back over the sea. Germany's oil supplies were further depleted when bombers again struck at refineries and storage plants in the industrial Ruhr. At Gelsenkirchen, which bore the brunt of the attack, two oil-producing and storage installations were singled out and systematically bombed for nearly two hours by two separate raiding forces. One refinery was repeatedly straddled with high-explosive bombs. Many explosions were seen and fires started by earlier attackers had scon gained such a hold that half-way through the raid one of a crew which had registered eight direct hits on the plant counted at least 25 raging in all parts of the target area. Meanwhile another large oil plant nearby was being similarly attacked. A dull red glow in the centre 'of the works guided late arrivals to the scene and at the height of the attack fires could be seen breaking out all over the target. Determined Opposition In the early hours of the morning an oil-supply centre at Reisholz was attacked. One heavy bomb scored a direct hit on a power house and fires quickly broke out. An important munitions factory at. Lunen. north < f Dortmund, was bombed and heavily damaged. More Uian 17 tons of high-expiosives and several hundred small incendiary bombs were dropped on it. In the face of determined opposition from well-organised ground defences. including heavy anti-aircraft batteries, numerous searchlights and a balloon barrage, other raiders attacked the Rhine port of Emmerich, scoring hits on dock installations and setting fire to buildings. The railway yards at Hamm and Soest received the customary night visit, the fiftieth in the case of Hamm, The great Krupps armament factory at Essen, which was severely damaged in, a previous large-scale raid, was again attacked and .a line ot bombs fell across the works. Other bombers, penetrating deei: into French territory, attacked an enemy-occupied aerodrome at Chartres, where the bombs struck hangars: Direct hits were scored on hangars in a low-level attack at Leeuwarden and fires were started among aircraft dispersed around the aerodrome. Bombs burst among the hangars at Eindhoven and night flying at an aerodrome near Woensdrecht was stopped by bombs falling on the landing ground.