EXTENSIVE BOMBING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 281, 26 October 1940, Page 7

EXTENSIVE BOMBING

BLOWS AT GERMANY.

GREAT AREA COVERED

(United Press Association —Copyright.)

(British. Official Wireless.) (Rec 10 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 25. Widespread bombing operations over Germany and the occupied territory by the R.A.F. last night are reported in an Air Ministry communique.

Yesterday R.A.F. bombers carried out armed reconnaissances on the French, Belgian and Dutch coasts, states the communique. The ports of Ostend and Gravelines, a factory and goods yards near Calais, and a convoy off Zeebrugge were attacked. During the night aircraft of the Bomber and Coastal Commands carried out widespread operations over Germany and the enemy-occupied territory.

Objectives in the Berlin area were bombed. The oil plants at Hamburg, v Hanover and Gelsenkirchcn, and docks and shipping at Hamburg, Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Rotterdam, Le Havre and Lorient, rail communications and goods yards at Emmerich, Muneter, Hamm, Bottrop, Duisberg, a power station at Hamburg, the Channel ports of Flushing, Ostend and Dunkirk, and several enemy aerodromes were attacked by strong forces of aircraft operating throughout the hours of darkness. One aircraft has not reported to its base. The Berlin radio states that British planes raided the city last night, dropping explosives and incendiary bombs through low clouds on residential districts, housing estates and garden colonies. An explosive bomb hit a crematorium and a number of fires were quickly extinguished. Several persons were injured. Two planes were shot down approaching the city. HUGE FIRE StARTED. Rail communication centres and other objectives in Central Berlin were again attacked last night by aircralt of the Bomber Command. The weather over the German capital was far from favourable to the raiders. Early arrivals were met by a wholly overcast sky, with the cloud extending from 12,000/t to within 4000 ft of the ground', and to make sure of hitting their targets the pilots launched attacks from a considerably lower level than in most ol the previous raids on Berlin. Later gaps in the cloud layer made it possible to attack from a higher level, where the gunfire from the ground defences was less intense, but poor visibility in- all areas hampered a detailed os'bervation of the bombing results. The first raiders to reach the city shortly after midnight located and attacked the Pulitzstrasso and Lehrtor railway yards, while salvoes of highexplosives added to the extensive damage inflicted in the previous nights raids. Half an hour later the same targets were bombed by a second sortie and one of the raiders was hit in several places by shrapnel while pressing home its attack from a low level. • Other raiders sought out objectives in the heart of the city and a huge fire which was started in the target area served as a beacon to guide the following aircraft straight to thenobjective.

The last wave of attackers came over Berlin at 1.30 a.m., and for the next 75 minutes the raiders crossed and recrossed the centre ol the citv in bombing runs. Berlin s 23rd raid lasted close on three hours. " destructive" raids.

AY ARM TIME FOR BERLIN

LONDON, Oct. 24. The R.A.F. gave Berlin and other centres'iii*Germany a particularly warm time last night. For the 22nd time R.A.F. bombers were over the city lor almost two hours. The targets included Berlin s two principal power stations—the Berliner electricity works in the Charlottenburg area, and the Klingenberg power station on the opposite sids of the city. The bombers also attacked the great railway yards of Templehof, Puhtzstrnsse and Lehreter. The last of the raiders did not leave Berlin until after 4 a.m. ■ ■ ■ ~ On the way over Germany the ground defences opened up, but the pilots dismissed the opposition as "the usual sort of stuff." But over Berlin the barrage was a different proposition. The raiders faced intense :Oid concentrated fire. One of the B.A.F. pilots made six separate runs over the Charlottenburg power station to ensure hitting the target. Several fires broke out immediately after the bombs were drooped. While the- R.A.F. was striking at Berlin other raiders were attacking the Emden docks - Tons of bombs were dropped on» the docks and adjacent railway sidings. Otho- objectives included a factory 40 miles eastward of Bremen where night work was in progress, the Dornier factories at Wismar, and a factory a Brunsb'uttcl.

ECONOMIC WARFARE.

HOW R.A.F. CO-OPERATES.

(British Official Wireless.)

(Rec. 11.40 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 25. Speaking at the Oxford University Liberal Club, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare (Mr Dingle Foot) explained the close relationship between economic warfare and aerial bombardment. Both were directed to the destruction of the sources of enemy power, he said, and the Ministry advised the Air Ministry on the targets which it was most useful to bomb.

Mr Dingle Foot outlined how 90 per cent. »f Germany's synthetic oil capacity, had been bombed. Eighty per cent, of her crude oil refining capacity had also been bombed, ami was either out of action or working under great difficulties. Her aircraft industry had also received attention, and there was reason to believe that the number of new aircraft' coming forward had been considerablv reduced. German transport had been systematically attacked, and all this bombing was part of a care-fully-planned scheme designed to inflict the greatest damage and disorganisation' on Germany's war industries and supply system. If our bomber crews were to drop their bombs indiscriminately or from such a great height as to make accuracy almost impossible wo would be defeating our own ends. By our control of raw materials in their source, by nava': patrols and aerial bombardment, Ave were striking continuously at the Nazi industrial and economic machine. > \