R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

Grey River Argus, 18 July 1941, Page 5

R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

HEAVY BjOMBING In Ruhr, France and Holland [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.l LONDON, July 16. On Tuesday night, R.A.F. bombers attacked targets in Duisberg and elsewhere in the Ruhr. ..Good results were achieved in spue of unfavourable weather. Three machines are missing from those operationsThe German radio, m admitting the raids, mentioned Altona, near Hamburg, as one of the places attacked. On Wednesday afternoon, raids were made on shipping in docks at Rotterdam. Several squadrons or Blenheims pressed the attack home with great daring, from a very low level, and direct hits were made on many ships, including a vessel or about fifteen thousand tons, and a number of others of between two thousand and ten thousand tons. Heavy damage was also done to warehouses and stores. , . Four of our aircraft are missing. Two of these were actually seen to bomb their targets. A Beaufort aircraft on Wednesday morning attacked an enemy sup-ply-ship of about 3,500 tons, oil tne north-west coast of France. A salvo of bombs were dropped, and hits were seen on the stern of the ship. R.A.F. fighters shot down an enemy bomber into the sea off the south coast, this mornnig, and a bomber destroyed an enemy fighter over Germany on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, operations were carried out by machines of the Fighter Command which attacked an enemy aerodrome in northern France. Pilots dropped powerful bombs on Monday nignt on north-west Germany. They report that they exploded with “immense flashes.” At Hanover, destruction caused by these shattering missiles must have been spread over a great area, and details of buildings lit by the brilliance of the bursts sprang clear to the eye. Both at Hanover and among docks at Bremen there were raging tires and impressive clouds of smoke following tuiect hits on large industrial buildings. o The British aircraft had a hard journev over the North Sea, meeting thick, "cold clouds rising to great heights. Over Bremen and Hanover, though clear weather made for accurate bombing, there was a vicious barrage through which the bombers had to pass, out with shrapnel bursting round them and even when hit by flying fragments, they kept a straight course over the tarOne pilot, though his aircraft was hit several times over Hanover, went on and bombed his target. Bursts were seen directly on it. This aircraft in fact, was so badly shot up that when it was later attacked by an enemy fighter, the front gunner found that his guns would not work, but by diving almost to sea level the captain shook off the fighter. Soon after this he found that his undercarriage had been hit and his wing flaps were out of control. His petrol was also running short, and wnen he reached the coast the captain ordered the crew to bail out, with so much damage he doubted whether he could make a safe landing. The members of the crew all came safely to the ground and were eventually taken to their own aerodrome by lorry. When they got there they found the captain waiting for them. He had managed to land the aircraft after all. Between June 16 and July 10, nearly 1,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Cologne, and over five tons on Bremen. " In the same period, the industrial Ruhr received over 2,000 tons. Daylight targets in northern France consist of industrial plants and power-stations used by the Germans. Thus, at Lille, two of the three power-stations supplying the industries of that town nave been attacked, and substantially put out of action. Mr Churchill’s statement on Monday that “in the last few weeks alone we have dropped on Germany about half the whole weight of bombs dropped on our own cities since the war began,” is noted by the Press with grim satisfaction, primarily due to the clear revelation which the statement, provides of the enormously increased striking pow-. er of the Royal Air Force. The “Manchester Guardian” states: “As moral beings we suppose that we have no right to feel glad that the Germans are at last tasting their own terrible medicine as combatants in a merciless war. but we can rejoice that our country’s strength is rising sufficiently of us to take the offensive.” “As for the material damage caused to the enemy,” states' “The Times,” “it has undoubtedly been great and the German radio has been compelled to /issue excuses to the civil population for the apparent lack of adequate protection for their person and property.”

ENEMY AIR RAIDERS. DECIMATED OFF TOBRUK. (Rec. 1.45). LONDON, July 17. The British Associated Press correspondent with the R.A.F. in the Western Desert savs; -R.A.F. fighters intercepSed German dive-bomb-ers attempting to attack sunnly ships en route to Tobruk, sending them into the sea at the same dizzy speed as their bombs. The ships’ crews cheered as six Junkers and one Messerschmitt, trailing streams of smoke and flame, crashed into the Mediterranean. A pilot said: “The Junkers seemed to lie' burning ail over the sea. It really was a loveN party.” A South African Tommvhawk squadron first sighted fifteen dive-bomb-ers flying in tight formation, escorted by a big formation of Messerschmitts. Hurricanes joined in the frav as the Junkers were diving to release their bombs. After a running fight over ten miles off Tobruk, only nine Junkers remained.