Heavy Blew Dealt at Hamburg

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 113, 14 May 1941, Page 8

Heavy Blew Dealt at Hamburg

GERMAN PORTS SUTTER IN GREAT R.A.T. RAID SHIPYARDS AFIRE (British Official Wii-eless.) BTTGBY, May 12. Farther massive attacks on Hamburg and Bremen are described- in an Air Ministry communique, which states: “Last night, in very good weather, aircraft of the Bomber Command again attacked objectives at Hamburg and Bremen. A heavyweight of high-explosive and incendiary bombs was dropped in tho shipbuilding yards and industrial areas of both cities, and many fires were started’ and left burning. “Small attacks were made on other targets, including Emden and docks at Rotterdam. Four aircraft of the Bomber Command are missing. “Planes of the Coastal Command last night attacked docks at Ijmuiden. Holland, and the seaplane base on the Texel. No aircraft is missing from these operations.” j The vast expanse of docks at Hami burg was the particular focus of an attack by a strong formation of R.A.F. bombers, which continued the destruction and disorganisation of vital parts of this great seaport before it had time to recover from the heavy attacks of Saturday night. | The shipbuilding yards nine miles in : length which line the banks of the Elbe I were threatened and crossed with fire. ' In the Blohm and Voss yards, where the Coben and other German capital | ships of the last war were built, highexplosive and incendiary bombs increased the damage already done. Opposite these yards, on the other side of the river, flames leapt high and away from the docks and industrial quarters of the town, which was vigorously assailed. . The fine weather experienced at Hamburg extended to Bremen, the other mail) objective of the nigl)t, and one of the pilots said it was “the kind of night when only the bomb-aimer could be blamed if we missed our target, and there was nothing wrong with our bomb-aimer.” Berlin admits that several waves of Britishf’ bombers attacked coastal cities in Northern Germany last night. Authorised sources reported that they dropped incendiary bombs and damaged residential areas. Simultaneously, several hundred planes of the Luftwaffe raided English points, claiming heavy damage on R.A.F. airports. German officials admitted that the R.A.F. set several warehouses on fire at Bremen in last night’s raid. The German High Command, too, admitted that strong R.A.F. formations wers over Germany last night, heavily bombing Hamburg, Bremen and other centres. They left “some damage” and killed and wounded some persons.