RELENTLESS RAIDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 191, 15 July 1941, Page 5

RELENTLESS RAIDS

MORE BOMBS ON BREMEN. VARIETY OF TARGETS. (United Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 a.m.) RUGBY, July 14. An Air Ministry communique states that aircraft of. tho Bomber Command were sixain over "NorthWest Germany last night, though the weather continued to be unfavourable. They, attacked industrial targets over a wide area, especially in Bremen and Bcgesack. The docks at Amsterdam and Ostcnd were also bombed, and fires were started among the oil storage tanks at Rotterdam.

Aircraft ot the Fighter Command, ou offensive patrol, attacked enemy aerodromes in Northern France during the night. From these operations one aircraft of the Bomber Command la missing.

An-Air Ministry communique says that in daylight, 'early this morning, Blenheim aircraft of the Bomber Command, escorted by fighters, attacked the docks and shipping at Cherbourg and Le Havre. At Cherbourg a ship of about 6000 tons was hit and set on fire. Direct hits were also seen on the railway station south of the docks, on locomotive sheds, and a factory. At Le Havre a ship of about 6000 tons was hit and later seen to be halfsnbmcrged. Later in the morning another escorted formation of Blenheims attacked tho railway yards at Hazebrouck. Many sticks o"i : bombs were seen to fall on the target. Eight enemy fighters were destroyed in the course of these operations and two of our bombers and four fighters are missing.—Official Wireless.

SHIPPING PLASTERED,

CONCENTR ATED ATTACKS

(Bee. 11.55 a.m.) RUGBY, July 14. In addition to the successtul attacks this morning by It.A.F. bombers on two 6000-ton ships at Cherbourg and Le Havre further 11.A.F. successes during tho day against enemy shipping are announced in another Air Ministry communique. "During a search for enemy shipping this afternoon Blenheim aircraft of the Bomber Command attacked a small convoy off the Dutch Frisian Islands. One vessel of 6000 tons received three direct hits, another of 3000 tons a hit on the stern, and an escort vessel of 1500 tons was hit aft and amidships. An enemy fighter which attacked our bombers was shot down into the sea. From this operation none of our aircraft is missing." The attack on Cherbourg met with some resistance from light anti-air-craft and machine-guns in the town and in the forts about, but the townspeople gave the aircraft a very different welcome. As our bombers roared over the housetops the streets were crowded with people waving to them. One bomber attacked an enemy merchant vessel of about 6000 tons in the trans-Atlantic dock and the resultswere seen by the crew of another bomber. One bomb fell directly on the ship and the explosion was followed by columns of smoke. After the attack the bomber went on to machine-gun a column of German military transport in the town. ■ Another Blenheim dropped its bombs on the railway station south of the docks. Bombs fell on the station itself and one was seen to skid along the railway line and burst in the mouth of a tunnel. Railway buildings and a crane were also hit. Locomotive sheds and an important factory building south-west of the trans-Atlantic docks were attacked by other aircraft.

None of tho enemy fighters got through the protective screen of our fighters to intercept the R-A.F. bombers. In the attack on the railway yards at Hazebrouck our fighters also kept the enemy away while the bombers straddled the target with high-explosives. QUIET IN BRITAIN.

An official communique states that a small number of enemy aircraft have been off our coasts to-day and a few have flown inland, but there has been no report of any bombs being dropped. Two enemy bombers were destroyed this afternoon—one by anti-aircraft gun firo on the east coast of Scotland and the other by fighters off the coast of Wales.—Official Wireless.