ESSEN BLASTED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20629, 9 August 1941, Page 5

ESSEN BLASTED

KRUPPS PLANTS BIGGEST R.A.F. BOMBS HAMM AND DORTMUND (Elec. Tel Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 8. An Air Ministry communique states: “Royal Air Force bombers continued attacks in force on Germany’s industrial towns last night. A great weight of the heaviest bombs was dropped on the armament factories at Essen. Dortmund and Hamm also were heavily attacked in fine weather. Good visibility favoured the attacks at all these places. Great damage was caused and widespread fires were left burning. 'A small force attacked the docks at Boulogne. “Aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked enemy aerodromes and othei targets in Denmark and shipping ofi the Dutch coast. Enemy aerodromes in northern France were attacked by aircraft of the Bomber and Fighter Commands. Three aircraft of the Bomber Command and one of the Coastal Command are missing from these night operations.” It is officially stated that no Royal Air Force planes attacked Berlin last night. A German report says that bombs fell in Berlin last night, but the Berlin radio did not mention whether they were dropped by the Royal Air Force. Rough Weather Defied The rough weather over the North Sea was again no defence to the German cities which the Bomber Command attacked in force last night. The storm clouds broke up over Western Germany and the armament works at Essen were seen clearly in the moonlight. The crews reported big fires and down into the flames went an exceptional number of the most powerful high explosive bombs. The returning crews saw from far away a glow in the eastern sky which meant the destruction of German war industries was going on long after the bombers had left. At Hamm, the railway yards which are the eastern outlet of the Ruhr, were hit and there were huge fires among the industrial buildings in the town. At Dortmund an important railway yard was hit again and again. Elsewhere there was much damage to industrial buildings. In all, this was a successful attack on a city noted for its foundries, collieries, and machine works. During the night some bombers found enemy shipping to attack in brilliant moonlight. One bomber got in two direct hits from about 1000 ft. on a fairly large merchant ship which blazed furiously. Another ship was hit and seen to be listing. Dawn to Dusk Attacks Details of British air operations were given by the Air Ministry news service. Fighter Command pilots carried out a series of offensive operations lasting from early morning until late in the evening. Twice they escorted formations of bombers to targets and screened them from enemy fighters. All the bombers returned safely. There were many Messerschmitts in the sky looking for stragglers to pounce upon, but the main formations of our fighters were left alone. The clouds, as well as hiding Messerschmitts waiting to attack, in many cases also prevented the British pilots from seeing the fate of enemy fighters they engaged. For this reason the destruction of only four enemy aircraft could be confirmed, though -many others were damaged and several of them possibly destroyed. The clouds were, however, a blessing to one wing-commander. He had shot at a Messerschmitt and was following it down when another Messerschmitt attacked, and he had to dive into a cloud to evade him. As he came out below the cloud, he was just in time to see the first Messerschmitt go into the ground. Early in the afternoon a Messerschmitt 110 was shot down by British fighters off the east coast. It is now known that seven enemy fighters were shot down by British fighters yesterday.