STRIKING BACK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 219, 14 August 1940, Page 7

STRIKING BACK

HEAVY BRITISH RAIDS. UNREMITTING BLOWS. (British. Official Wireless.) Received August 14, 10.40 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 13. An Air Ministry communique reports: Medium R.A.F. bombers carried out daylight operations to-day over an area extending from Jutland to the Bay of Biscay. The objectives included enemy occupied aerodromes at Waalhaven (Rotterdam), Hingene, Caen and Cherbourg (Normandy), and the seaplane base at Brest. Twelve aircraft have, not returned. Targets attacked by R.A.F. bombers last night included tlio Gotha airframe factory, other objectives in North-West Germany, and enemy occupied territory in France and Holland. The attacks were pressed home in spite of ice and cloud. Raids were also made on 17 aerodromes and the seaplane base at Borkum From these operations four of our aircraft have not returned. Tlio harbour at Hekler, on the Dutch coast, was bombed in co-operation with the Fleet Air Arm. . A tremendous explosion on the quayside, which probably denoted the hitting’ of an ammunition dump, followed the bombing attack on Helder. A series of- smaller explosions was also noted and when the Blenheim bomber was well out to sea on its return more explosions on the quay were seen. Many fires were also started in Helder harbour bv oilier Blenheims. A stick of bombs fell across a dozen anti-aircraft ships in the harbour. The aerodrome on the island of Texel (in the Frisian Group) was attacked and buildings set on fire. At Do Kooy aerodrome (Holland) a pilot dropped all his bombs on the airfield. A Press Association report from Amsterdam says British planes dropped numerous bombs on Amsterdam last night, causing 20 fires in a densely populated area. LOSSES COMPARED. REGENT AIR BATTLES. The following table shows the British and enemy air losses since the intensification of the'air war over Britain last week:—

CLAIMS DISPROVED. LITTLE BRISTOL DAMAGE. LONDON, Aug. 13. Since June 20 the German wireless has claimed that numerous raids on Bristol have inflicted heavy damage to the docks, the aircraft factory, .oil storage plants, and railway station. Yesterday a Press party were permitted to examine exhaustively the scenes of these claims, as a result of which they were able to say that the damage was very light except to a railway signalbox. some railway trucks, a school yard and, several houses. The Avonmouth docks are teeming with life, and port officials stated that Bristol at present is handling more tonnage than its average Bristol last night had a raid in which 10 bombs were dropped and some houses were damaged.

German British Thursday 60 16 Sunday — 19 Monday 61 13 Tuesday .... 69 11