R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

Grey River Argus, 26 July 1941, Page 5

R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

RAIDS IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM And West Germany lAus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.J LONDON, July 21. The Air Ministry states that on Thursday afternoon, Blenheim aircraft of the Coastal Command, escorted by fighters, bombed the rEytway yards at Hazebrouck, in northern France. Signalling “V” on morse or lamps, as tney ran up to the target, me Blenheims, escorted by fighters, bombed the railway yards at Hazebrouck. It was tne first time Coastal Command bombers had taken part in sweeps over France. Flying in tight formation, the aircraft releaseu their bombs within three minutes. High-explosives and incendiaries were seen to burst on the railway yards. Clouds of smoke and dust rolled over them. As the Blenheims flew away, several fires were largely blazing at both ends or the yards, those at the eastern end being particularly fierce. A pilot said: “The squadrons of fighters which escorted us were grand. We could see dog-fights hign' above us. and all round tnere were fighter trails in the sky, both behind us and in front of us. But not a single German lighter got anywhere near us.” Fighter escorts taking part u’ these operations had many combats with enemy fighters. In these, 12 enemy fighters have been destroyed for tne loss of six of ours The docks at Le Havre and Ostend were bombed on Wednesday night, and Coastal Command aircraft set fire to an enemy supply-ship off the Norwegian coast, and destroyed an enemy fighter. No aircraft is missing from these operations. Further reports show that a sixth enemy fignter was destroyed during operations over northern France on Wednesday evening. The same night industrial objectives at Frankfurt and Mannheim were attacked by the Bomber Command. _ Particularly large fires were seen at Mannheim. a further contribution of 130,000 for aircraft from the Netherlands East Indies through Prince Bernhard brings the total trom this source to neany £1,000,000. Among other gifts acknowledged by the Minister tor Aircraft Production is £5,000 from the Rajah of Bashahr, for a Spitlire to be named “Bashahr.”

THURSDAY NIGHT RAIDS.

IN WESTERN GERMANY,

(Rec. 1150) RUGBY, July 25. , British bombers on Thursday night attacked targets in Western Germany.