COLONGE ABLAZE

Grey River Argus, 23 July 1941, Page 6

COLONGE ABLAZE

ONE FIRE A MILE LONG R.A.F. Decimates City ROTTERDAM ALSO BLITZED. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.J LONDON. July 21. The Air Ministry states: Our Bomber Command was again over the Rhineland- in force on Sundnj T*io-ht Cologne was the pr.*ncipa objective of a sustained attack. Mariy large fires were started in the industrial areas of the city. mile RA.F. pilots report a fire a mile long at Cologne—one of many. the RAF also .caused a blaze at Kot

terdam visible 100 miles away. Over Cologne, the crews watched th? results of the bombing through pans in the clouds. Theie was - verv brilliant lire a mile long among factories on the outskirts of the city ■ Elsewhere, 10 other fires were burning at one time, and high-explosives were bursting in the midst of a l ar S industrial building, which was already burning fiercely. At Rotterdam, there was a L, f n r ™ cl able fire among the uocks. The glow was seen from 100 miles on the way back A pillar of dense black smoke rose 6,000 feet, and hid a large part of the docks, while the flames lit up warehouses in front of the smoke. At Aachen, in the Rhineland, bombs were seen to burst among lac tory buildings. „ the After these successful attacks, tne whole of the large force came safely home, though the Germans nut up a strong barrage, and night fighters were about. Ono MEIIO was hit an driven off. in the course of a combat R.A.F. bombers also carried out an attack on a factory at Lille, and enemy shipping off the French coast. A number of enemy lighters wen encountered, and seven were destroyed. British losses were three fighters missing. , . On Sunday morning, a large force of fighters and bombers attacked a' target in northern France. Five enemy fighters were shot down uuring the operation and four British machines are missing. It is now known that eight enemy fighters were destroyed by our fighters, in operations over the Channel and northern France on Monday - . On Saturday night, R.A.F. bombers shot down two enemy fighters while attacking Germany. Aircraft of the Coastal Command were engaged in the usual extensive patrols over the sea. From these one aircraft is missing. . On Monday night, R.A.F. fighters were very, active over the Straits of Dover and the French coast. Offensive patrols were carried out by strong formations operative at... different heights, and reaching out beyond the French coast. The patrol continued until almost dusk. Seven ships in a. convoy were attacked off Norderney Island on Saturday. A 10,000-ton tanker was hit and left blazing fiercely, a 6,000-ton merchantman was hit four times and set on fire and had its bridge blown away, and two other merchantmen of 8,000 tons and 2,000 tons respectively were burning. No Royal Air Force machines are missing from this operation. The Air Ministry's figures for the total enemy losses in the past four months must now have grown to some 500,000 tons sunk and about a's much again severely damaged. As Sir Archibald Sinclair said: “The rate of destruction increases and the weight of the attack delivered against enemy shipping in the last fortnight of this month exceeds anything previously' achieved.” The last w r eek can be regarded as the most successful week of the war for the Royal Air Force, for damage done to enemy territory included the devastation of industrial plants, the destruction of thousands of tons of shipping, and serious casualties among troop concentrations. The operations were not without loss the Royal Air Force losing 44 machines, compared with 47 enemy aeroplanes. These figures are surprisingly low when the widespread operations over Germany, Holland, occupied France, and the Channel are taken into consideration. Twen-ty-seven bombers and 13 fighters were lost; but one pilot was saved. Enemy losses were 22 machines over Germany and northern France, 10 over Britain and the British coast,

ana lo machines in me iviiaaie -cjctbi. where Britain lost four machines. RAIDS ON BRITAIN. LONDON. July 21. Enemy activity over Britain last night was again on a small scale Bombs dropped in eastern England and at two places in north-east Scotland caused some damage and a small number of casualties. The scale of the British operations last week was in marked contrast to that of the enemy, who could only launch a sharp attack on Hull.