R.A.F. RAIDS

Grey River Argus, 31 December 1941, Page 5

R.A.F. RAIDS

ON GERMANY AND OCCUPIED AREAS. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, December 29. The Air Ministry reports: On Sunday night, R.A.F. bombers attacked docks at Dunkirk, and enemy aerodromes in Holland. Coastal Command aircraft made attacks on enemy shipping during the night. “Off the Dutch coast, two ships were hit with bombs. “Fighter Command aircraft on night offensive patrol attacked aerodromes and other targets in occupied France and Holland. From these operations, seven aircraft of the Bomber Command are missing. “Among fh e targets attacked in Western Germany last night by Bomber Command planes was tne great chemical works at Huis, near the Ruhr Here the enemy’s costly rubber’ substitute, btfna, is manufactured. The works stand isolated among woods and fields, and a strong -* force of Hampden bombers set out to attack this single vital objective. In cold, clear moonlight a wide stretch of the works was picked out against the snow-covered ' countryside. The attack began soon after 8 p.m. when aircraft after aircraft dropped ■ its load, the first few pointing the way with incendiary bombs and the - rest following on with heavy, high explosive bombs. At 8.50, came the climax when crews of the' aircraft which, at that moment were over’-;;/ the target, crews which were over 500 miles on their way home, and crews of approaching aircraft .still 20 miles from Huis, united in reporting an explosion of great violence, which shot flames many hundreds of feet into Ihe air. Crews which were over, or near the target at the time of the explosion, saw that it leaped from the centre of the factory and that from then on, fires burned . unchecked among numerous buildings of the great plant. For the remaining bombers, the target had become a gigantic beacon and they . piled their high explosives on it...