RAIN OF BOMBS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23708, 15 July 1940, Page 7

RAIN OF BOMBS

MERCILESS OFFENSIVE DUTCH AIRPORTS HIT / MANY TARGETS DAMAGED LONDON, July 12 Heavy and medium Royal Air Force bombers-on Thursday night continued their merciless offensive across the Channel, with the object of crippling Germany's threatened invasion at its source. Strong squadrons' bombed aerodromes, barge concentrations, seaplane bases and coastal harbours in the Low Countries, and also penetrated deep into Germany. Very severe weather conditions were encountered by, the British,aircraft, but in spite of heavy storms, with rain, hail and snow, and difficult icing conditions, widely' dispersed targets were damaged. Intensive Bombing Under cover of darkness, a series of attacks lasting two hours was made on Waalhaven airport. High explosive bombs scored many hits and started several fires. Other British raiders bombed runways and buildings at Schipol aerodrome, Amsterdam. One hundred high explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on Texel. Other Dutch airports near the coast, from which German raiders were operating, were subjected to intensive bombing. Munition works at Ludwigshaven and near Cologne were located and bombed by the aid of light from parachute flares. Blast furnaces at Seigburg, 14 miles from Cologne, were attacked with heavy calibre bombs.

Explosions and Fires Another night raider penetrated 300 miles into enemy territory and successfully attacked a large factory building on the fringe /of Strasbourg, in* southern Germany. Salvoes of bombs straddled the target and after two large warehouses had been hit the raider's crew watched a continuous series of explosions occurring on the ground below. Incendiary 1/ombs started several fires, which soon were burning fiercely. One great blaze was still plainly visible when the aircraft was 60 miles on its homeward course. The Air Ministry's communique says: "Koyal Air Force bombers on Thursday / night attacked enemy aerodromes in Holland, and munitions works, blast furnaces and other objectives in Germany. Three of our aircraft are missing. • "In the course of a reconnaissance over Boulogne 011 Thursday, aircraft of the Coastal Command bombed a concentration of barges, machine-gunned enemy moored in tho har- — hour and damaged lock gates. Use of Weather Conditions "" "Five enemy aircraft are believed to have been destroyed and others severely damaged in a raid oij the aerodrome at dawn 011 I' riday by medium bombers of the Royal ■Air Force. "Sleet and rain enabled the raiders to dive, drop their bombs and get clear before anti-aircraft defences could open re - A number of hits with high explosive bombs was made along one side °f the aerodrome. In a second attack JO minutes later, a concentration of some 20 enemy aircraft was bombed. "Our bombers 011 Thursday delivered a daylight attack on the aerodromes of St. Omer and Amiens. Five of our Aircraft failed to return. In addition, • * n aircraft of the Coastal Command was tot 011 patrol." 1