BREMEN BLASTED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20822, 29 June 1942, Page 5

BREMEN BLASTED

1000-BOMBER RAID HUGE FIRES RAGING BOMBING BY MOONLIGHT (By Telegraph—Press Assn.— Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (2.40 p.m.) RUGBY, June 26. Describing the 1000-bomber raid on Bremen last night, .the Air Ministry says the bombing of Germany’s second largest port in this third R.A.F. “four fiaure” raid was concentrated into 75 minutes —15 minutes less than the time taken for the gigantic attack on Cologne. The night was so short and the journey so long that the bombing force took off and landed in daylight. The weather failed to come up .to expectations Clouds blowing in from the sea often covered Bremen. At times no.more could be seen than the glow of fires under the clouds though these were bright enough to light up the sky above. Some of the crews who managed to dip underneath the very low cloudbase reported many large fires. It was very bright above the clouds with the glow of the Northern Lights in the distance and a brilliant moon to the southward. It was thus a good night for fighters. The captain of a Halifax said he could distinguish the types of aircraft as far as five miles away. “We could see fights going on and tracer bullets weaving but the conditions meant that the fighters had little chance of pouncing on us without being seen ” It was nothing unusual for a bomber to be surrounded by three or four fighters. There were many fierce battles. Several rear gunners definitely shot down enemy fighters. In addition to British squadrons, there were Royal Dutch Naval -Air Service aircraft and also Polish, Czechoslovak and Canadian squadrons.