POUNDED BY R.A.F.

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20639, 20 August 1941, Page 5

POUNDED BY R.A.F.

GERMAN CITIES WAR PLANTS FIRED GREAT LOAD OF BOMBS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Aug. 20, 11 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 19. The main targets of Royal Air Force bombers last night were Cologne and Duisburg. An Air Ministry communique states that the weather was fine and a great number of heavy bombs were seen to burst in both towns. Many large fires were left blazing. Another force effectively bombed the docks at Dunkirk. Eight aircraft are missing. Fighter Command aircraft, on an offensive patrol, attacked enemy airfields in occupied territory during the night. Once more the Germans appear to have brought up new defences for the Ruhr and Rhineland, states the Air Ministry news service. Cologne Searchlights One bomber was held over Cologne by searchlights for a whole hour, while there was fierce anti-aircraft fire from both sides of the river, but the weather was on the side of the attackers and they dropped load after load of incendiary and high explosive bombs on factories and railways in Cologne and Duisburg. ‘We played our usual game of hide and seek with the searchlights and anti-aircraft fire,” said a rear gunner, “and did not let the fireworks put us off. As we turned sharply away from Cologne after bombing, I could see our own fires adding to the light of those there before. “There were as many large fires in Duisburg as in Cologne, including a great oil fire on the west bank of the river opposite the inland docks. It was burning explosively with a heavy cloud of black smoke over it.” The German news agency admits that Germany was bombed from the east and west last night. The rescues of Royal Air Force pilots is described by the Air Ministry in its account of to-day’s fighter sweep over northern France, in which eight enemy machines were destroyed. Six Royal Air Force aircraft were lost, but the pilots of two are safe. Both were rescued by the air sea rescue service. One is a Belgian who shot down a Messerschmitt yesterday. He climbed into a rubber dinghy when he came down in the water and was picked up an hour later.