R.A.F. ATTACKS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1940, Page 5

R.A.F. ATTACKS

. A HUGE LIST FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. (Per British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 12. The impressive scale of recent R.A.F. attacks on enemy military ob--1 jeetives can best be appreciated from a summary of a number of raids on specific targets. Since the beginning of September until Wednesday moni--1 ing—a. period during which the brunt .of the (Nazi lias (fallen on London—R.A.F. planes have carried out 23 separate attacks on German occupied aerodromes in Holland ail'd two on aerodromes in Belgium. Luring these many high explosive bombs have been dropped, hits being secured on hangars. There have been fifteen raids on forests concealing military objectives. Great tracts of (lie Black Forest were set ablaze, and equal success was achieved in the Thuruigerwald Obcr Hartz, and in forests .near Berlin. Thirty-five attacks were made on the German rail system, including the large Potsdam station in Berlin, and considerable damage was caused in marshalling yards, and sidings, and to tracks. There were twenty-nine raids on German and German-occupied clocks and shipyards, where big fires and explosions were caused. There were twelve raids on barge concentrations, five attacks on canal and river systems, and fourteen raids on munition owrks, amongst which was Ivrnpps. There were eight attacks made on - aircraft works, including the B.M.S. factory at Munich; sixteen raids oil oil refineries and nine raids on fire : stations. The West Charlottenburg ! station, near Berlin was bombed for two successive nights, many direct hits and numerous flashes and explosions resulting. Seven attacks were made on gun emplacements on the French coast, and eleven attacks on shipping. There were three attacks on Italian I objectives, including /hero-engine ! works at Turin, and many other j varied military objectives,. including gasworks, blast furnaces and lighting installations.

RAID ON HAMBURG

FURTHER DETAILS

RUGBY, September 13

Details of the latest R.A.F.. attack on Hamburg show that for nearly four hours relays of aircraft of the Bomber Command- kept up an almost continuous assault on the harbour installations, shipbuildings yards, and dock basins. .The first aircraft reached the scene shortly after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, and started a fire in the docks, which served as a beacon to following raiders. Later, as the attack developed, other great fires were set burning in the dock area and to the west and north-west of the city. A series of direct bits was scored on jetties and docks to the east and west of the great Blobm Toss shipbuilding yards. By 10.45 p.m., visibility, which bad been good at the start of the raid, bad deteriorated, and a bomber coming in from the sea. to launch an attack found the target covered by® low-lying cloud, above which antiaircraft shells could be seen bursting. Then the - cloud cleared over the northern half of Hamburg, enabling a pilot to make for the docks amt release an entire load in a single run across the target. At one a.m. Thursday, the crew of the (last aircraft detailed for the attack could see a huge fire blazing while still forty miles away from Hamburg. Over the docks they dropped a stick of heavy bombs across a line of the shipbuilding yards, but though the explosion of their bombs was seen, it was impossible for them to access the damage caused because of a dazzling glow from the great fire raging beneath them.

FURTHER DETAILS. HEAVY ATTACKS MADE. (Received this day at 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY September 13. In spite of the weather which the pilots described as distinctly foul, the R.A.F. on Thursday night continued to harry German invasion plans. 1 hey struck particularly ai. a network ol vital railway Junctions and goods yards in Western. Germany. Both coastal bomber commands wore engaged in these operations. All the machines returned safely from the attacks on key transport centres, through which must pass troops, reserves, equipment and supplies moving towards the Channel ports, in the event of an attempted invasion of Britain.

The targets .included a line of trucks at Ehrang north of 'frier, marshalling yards at Hamm, Essen, Sehwerte, Emmerich and elsewhere. At Brussels yards a TJ shaped fire, threeqiiarters of a mile long was seen. Docks.and petroleum sheds at Emden. Flushing, and Dotiizjl, a seaplane base' at Norderuey and De Tvooy, and oil tanker at Le Havre were also bombed.

BREMEN ATTACKED. LONDON. Sep. 13. R.A.F. bomber planes attacked Bremen for nearly two hours. ‘‘Bremen is on lire, and what, a lire.” remarked a pilot when lie returned from a raid.

Ad observer in anofWr piano said fires were blazing all over the place, awl made a solid triangle of flame, one side of which must have, been two miles long. ATTACK ON OSTEND. RUGBY, Sc]). 13. Fires wer<> raging in all parts of Ostend when a raid on it ended, alter neaily four hours. Two huge explosions sent uj> a, column of black smoke which pieced a cloud layer ten thousand feet over the harbour.