ENEMY ATTACKED

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1940, Page 5

ENEMY ATTACKED

BY R.A.F. BOMBERS ENORMOUS DAMAGE DONE. (United Press Association Per Electric Telegraph Copyright). LONDON, Sep. 14. French Channel ports were again heavily bombed throughout Friday night- by R.A.F. planes. An attack began at dusk, and continued until 5 a.m. ou Saturday. From the English coast flashes of the explosions of bombs and shells of the anti-aircraft guns, tracer bullets and flares could

be seen along the whole coastline from Boulogne to the north of Dunkirk. The thud of explosions could bo felt outlie Kentish coast. Observers state it was the fiercest and most prolonged bombardment of the coast so far.

On Thursday- night, despite bad weather, R.A.F. bombers attacked the network of vital railway junctions and goods yards in Western Germany.

A communique stated aircraft of both Coastal and' Bomber Commands were engaged and all returned -safely. The Air Ministry points out these junctions and goods yards,' which include some of the largest and most elaborate in Europe, must play an important part in'any attempted invasion of Britain. Troops, reserves, equipment and supplies moving westwards to the Channel ports from Germany must pass through one or the other of-these key transport- centres. It was before ten o’clock that in thick cloud and dmssling rain the first raider dropped its heavy bombs and incendiaries on the Hamm yards. At the Ehr-ang yards, near the Luxemburg frontier, north of Trier, heavy bombs burst along a line of trucks, causing several explosions and fires which burned with a vivid glare. At Osna-bruck, too, t,he bombers flow through dense cloud. One scraped a balloon cable with its wing-tip. Attacking from various heights, the raiders started ten large fires in the yards.

Some of tire aircraft which attacked the Essen yards were badly iced up. Heavy bombs were dropped on railway sidings. , s The Schwerte marshalling yards were also 1 attacked in the face of an intense barrage from light anti-aircraft batteries. Another raider bombed the sidings at Emmerick, on the Rhine, near the Dutch border

The. Germans have recently been routing much of their military traffic through the Brussels yards. These have been attacked -several times by the Royal Air Forcedn the past week, and they were bombed- again -last night. After bursts were seen on the target, a U-shaped fire three-quar-ters of -a mile long was seen on the north of the yard. There was a- -series of green-coloured explosions, then another fire two hundred yards long was seen,in the middle of the siding. Meanwhile another section of raiders visited Emden and bombed .the docks and petroleum sheds on the west side of Altebinnenhaven. The attack went on for an hour. Squadrons operating over Holland bombed the docks at Flushing and Detfzijl, at the mouth of the Eras, opposite Emden, and the Norderney seaplane base and the base at Do Kooy, near Den llelder.

The first raider to reach Flushing found a semi-circle of anti-aircraft ships around the harbour entrance. They immediately opened an intense barrage, and light and heavy shore batteries joined .in. Tracer bullets flared past the bombers, and highangle machine-guns added their quota. Through this barrage one of the raiders flew at six hundred feet. A German oil tanker was bombed by Blenheims of the Coastal Command near Le Havre, and a supply ship was also hit.

The New Zealand pilot of an aircraft which last night dived down to nearly ground level over Flushing dockyard in. the face of intense anti-air-craft fire and dropped his bombs, describing the exploit said: ‘AVe were fairly low when they opened up. I have never seen anything like it, there was so much of it I put down the nose of my machine and hoped for the best. Searchlights were holding us all the time. 1 just kept my eyes on the instruments and on the docks. If one had looked round one would have been blinded.

“As we- went over the bomb aimer made certain of his aim. We dropped the bombs and they landed right in the centre of tho dock buildings. Immediately we wei'ii thrown to six hundred feet.

“There were tremendous explosions. The second pilot, who was standing beside me, was knocked off his loot. 1 just concentrated on trying to keep the aircraft in the air a-ml get away. There was a curtain of fire on all sides. W r e went through.” Ships in the harbour also opened lire on the aircraft with heavy arm, quick-firing guns as well as lighter type of anti-aircraft guns. The pilot sent out -an SOS- that he was likely to bo coming down, but was attempting to get home. Flying very low over the se-i lie managed to bring the aircraft tack and made a safe landing at his base.