RAF. NIGHT RAIDS

Grey River Argus, 7 February 1941, Page 8

RAF. NIGHT RAIDS

HUGE FIRE AT BREST Dusseldorf Bombed FOUR ’PLANES LOST. [Br'tish Official Wireless] RUGBY, February 5. An Air Ministry communique states: The Royal Air Force resumed attacks on the enemy on Tuesday night over a wide area', and on a scale’larger than for the last fortnight. Clouds prevented full observations but the results are satisfactory. One of the most persistent of Bomber Command raids was made on the naval base at Brest between eight and ten o’clock and there was a very large red fire and some heavy explosions. _ , Bombers attacked Dusseldorf where fires were seen to break out. A tram in the neighbourhood was also hit and burst into flames. High explosives fell on two nearby railway junc-i lions. . Another force bombed Dunkirk, Dieppe and Ostend, where the docks were hit. Aerodromes at Vannes and other places in occupied France, also docks at Bordeaux, were successfully Coastal Command aircraft visited Cherbourg twice. The docks and repair yards were straddled with hign explosives. . . Four of the British aircraft arc missing. , i The weather over Brest was favourab'e and the whole plan of the docks and the outline of the jetties were ciearlv visible from the air. At the height of this attack, lire was seen to break out on the docks, and was vividly described by one of the many pilots who reported it. The fire appeared to be the result of burning oil. “As we were vertically over the docks.” the pilot said, “there was an explosion that almost blinded us. Ac first I thought a flare had gone off inside the aircraft, then I thought we had been hit, and the aircraft was on lire. Looking down we saw an area cf about 150 yards long on fire, with flames shooting up to two hundred feet. The fire was just beside the water's edge. We cruised around and watched it grow; black smoke pouring up and rising higher than our aircraft, about nine thousand feet. Royal Air Force aircraft dropped one of the heaviest types of high-ex-plosive bombs together with a large number of incendiaries, when Dusseldorf was raided last night. As part of widespread activity, covering a la'rge area both on the coast and inland, this industrial town was attacked for four hours and a-half. The sky was clouded over during the earlier part of the raid, and some of the aircraft were forced to seek alternative targets. One of these bombers attacked a nearby aerodrome from about 1000 feet, dropping bombs among the buildings, and spraying the whole area with machine-gun fire. As the aircraft was leaving, the pilot saw a military lorry approaching along the road, and swooped down to about 100 feet ’ the British crew attacked with their forward machine-guns.

A German report states: The enemy last night bombed Dusseldorf and damaged buildings. Five persons were killed and 24 injured.

DAY RAIDS OVER FRANCE. ON WEDNESDAY. RUGBYY, February 5. An Air Ministry communique slates: Royal Air Force aircraft have been very active over the English Channel and North-west France, today. A number of lighter patrols have been maintained, resulting in the destruction of one enemy bomber over the Channel during the morning, and a second during the afternoon. Early in the afternoon, a squadron of our bombers, escorted by considerable fighter strength, carried out a sweep over northern France, during which the aerodrome at St. Omer was successfully attacked. Two enemy aircraft were shot down in combat. Five of our lighters are missing.