BOMBS ON RHINE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20861, 13 August 1942, Page 3

BOMBS ON RHINE

R.A.F. OBJECTIVES SUCCESSFUL ATTACK FIRES BURN ALL NIGHT (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (10.30 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 12. The Air Ministry states that last night a strong force of bombers attacked Mainz, an important centre of industry, rail and river communications in the Rhineland. The crews reported that the attack was particularly successful. A reconnaissance this morning showed that fires were still burning. Objectives in the Coblenz docks at Le Havre and airfields in the Low Countries were also attacked. Sixteen bombers are missing from the night operations. One fighter is missing from an offensive patrol yesterday.” Mainz is situated on the junction of the Rhine and Mainz rivers, 25 miles from Frankfort, and is notable for its very fine and historic buildings. A river port and railway junction, it lias a number of manufacturing industries, including leather goods and chemicals. It has a population of about 150,000 people. Coblenz, capital of the Rhine province, stands at the junction of .the Rhine and Moselle rivers, 58 miles from Cologne. Like Mainz it is an important communications centre and has a number of industries. It has a population of about'6o,ooo. It is "officially stated that before midnight a small force of enemy aircraft dropped bombs at places on the south coast of England. Some damage and casualties resulted, including eight persons killed. Later, aircraft bombed scattered points in eastern and northern England and the east Midlands, where the damage and casualties were slight. One enemy bomber was destroyed. Six persons were killed and many injured when enemy planes, including bomb-carrying fighters, sharply attacked a south-east coast town. A number of buildings and houses and a church received direct hits. One raider was shot down.