AGAIN BOMBED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20822, 29 June 1942, Page 3

AGAIN BOMBED

RAID ONJ3REMEN MANY OTHER TARGETS LUFTWAFFE’S ‘REPRISALS’ (By Telegraph—Press Aasn. —Copy right.) (11.30 a.m.) LONDON, June 28. Last night a strong force of British bombers was over north-west Germany, with Bremen again the main target, states an Air Ministry communique. Large fires were left burning. Our fighters attacked enemy airfields and other targets in‘occupied France and enemy shipping off the French coast. One ship was bombed and set on fire off Cherbourg. Nine of our bombers and two fighters are missing. This morning one of our bombers shot down an enemy bomber into the sea off the south-west of England. When Bremen was attacked the weather was bad over the port. A remarkable number of enemy night fighters were sent up and one Stirling alone shot down three out of five which it encountered during the return trip. This Stirling had to come down low and was hit by machinegun bullets from a “flak” ship. It eventually reached its base on three engines, but before landing another engine caught fire. The landing was difficult, but the pilot made it. On Friday night our bombers laid mines in enemy waters. The Fighter Command attacked enemy airfields ar.d railway objectives in occupied territory and enemy supply shipping off the Dutch coast. One of our fighters is missing. Three enemy aircraft were destroyed by our bombers in Thursday night's attack on Bremen. Constant Raiding In the four weeks between the first four-figure attack on Cologne on the night of May 30, and the attack on Bremen on Thursday, there have been only five nights when the weather prevented the Bomber Command from attacking the enemy. On every other night, Royal Air Force bombers have been out either to attack land targets or to lay sea-mines, and on many nights to do both, A small number of enemy planes last night were over western and southern England and dropped bombs at several points, particularly in one place where a number of fires were started. The Berlin radio says that the Luftwaffe last night raided Bristol. On the previous night, enemy aircraft made a short attack on Norwich. Damage, mainly through fires, was done to residential and shopping areas. There were some casualties, including a small number of killed. Three of the raiders were destroyed. Although Canterbury Cathedral was not directly hit in a recent raid, high explosives tore two huge craters in the precincts and wrecked the modern library, shattered the deanery, destroyed the residence of the chapter, and extensively damaged King’s School, the oldest public in England. Hundreds of the Cathedral windows were blown out, bu,t fortunately the ancient stained glass was removed at the outbreak of the war. The city itself was extensively damaged and many ancient buildings destroyed, including the 800-year-old Royal Fountain Hotel, where .Queen Elizabeth stayed and “The ’Umble ’Ome” of Uriah Heap.