R.A.F. STRIKES FAR AND NEAR

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 229, 27 September 1940, Page 8

R.A.F. STRIKES FAR AND NEAR

Widespread Night Raids

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Sept. 25. In extensive R.A.F. operations against the enemy on Tuesday night, which included a long raid over Berlin, as well as a continuation of the systematic attacks of recent nights on the enemy invasion ports, only two of the aircraft employed were lost. Tho Finkenheers electric power station, near Frankfurt-on-Oder, more than 300 miles from Germany’s western frontier, was located half an hour before midnight and twice attacked with sticks of high-explosive bombs, which were seen to burst in and around the target. The main railway lino near Madgeburg and the rail depot and distributing centre at Hamm also were attacked, and a number of explosions on the main sidings and sheds at Hamm were followed by a line of fires. The goods yards at Brussels also wero attacked. Hanover aerodrome was bombed from a high level, and, to the north of Emden, where night flying by the enemy was in progress, a British raider came down to 2000 feet to drop his bombs on a hangar and runway. A flare revealed the wreckage of a hangar destroyed in a previous attack. Invasion Ports Hammered. While the long-distance raids on Germany* were in progress, other strong forces of bombers, operating at short range, kept up their nightly hammering of the enemy’s invasion ports, from Hamburg in the north to Le Havre in the south. Fires were started at the Hamburg docks. Bombs straddled the shipping bases at Cherbourg and at the Dutch port of Delfzijl. At Ostend, repeated hits were socred on the basins and on the harbour jetties. The Calais docks, the target for one of the night’s heaviest bombardments, were subjected to a series of attacks lasting nearly seven hours. Barges lying alongside the quays were hit, and fires and explosions were seen in many parts of the harbour. Before four o’clock this morning, more than 30 fires were counted burning within the docks.

At Le Havre, the raids began at ID p.m. and continued at intervals until five o’clock this morning. The lock gates were hit, warehouses were set alight, and many other fires were started. A violent explosion marked a direct hit on what appeared to be the harbour power station. German Ship Sunk Strong opposition from ground de* fences was encountered at Boulogne. Direct hits were claimed here on the wall of one dock and on jetties between the basins and in many parts of the outer harbour. A particularly big explosion followed by a fire was seen to occur in No. 7 dock.

The German long-range gun positions at Cap Gris Nez also were attacked shortly before dawn, and numbers of hits were registered on new emplacements under construction.

Hudson aircraft of the Coastal Command sank a German supply ship near the Frisian Islands early this morning. There were three enemy vessels in a convoy. The Hudson made a divebombing attack on the largest one, which was leading. Three bombs made direct hits, and the ship was settling by the stern when the Hudson flew away followed by anti-aircraft fire from the two other vessels.

Brest was again attacked, this time by Beauforts and Ansons of the Coastal Command. They set fire to infantry barracks and damaged docks, and started a vast fire on and around a railway siding. When Coastal Command Blenheims raided Cherbourg, they had to contend with extremely bad visibility, but all found their objectives. One pilot had to search for his target for 35 minutes amidst intense anti-aircraft fire.