PORTS SHELLED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24417, 1 October 1940, Page 7

PORTS SHELLED

FRENCH COAST BRITISH GUNS FURfHER R.A.F. BLOWS GERMAN DIFFICULTIES (British Official Wireless) (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph •C’ooyriglit) RUGBY Sept. 29. (Received Sept 30. at 7.30 p.m.) British long-range guns m addition to the R.A.F.. have furiously battered ports in Northern France during the last 48 hours The guns fired a salvo every minute At Calais and oilier ports warehouses were destroyed and docks were out out of action while channels are blocked by sunken ships The R.A.F raids on the invasion bases are stated to be so damaging that the Germans find it difficult to use them Despite a rainstorm the R.A.F bombers to-night again delivered a smashing blow at the invasion ports Watchers on the English coast saw the flashes of bursting bombs along many miles of the French coast They were especially numerous in the region of Boulogne.

VITAL ENEMY AREAS HEAVY AIR ATTACKS BERLIN AMONG TARGETS (British Official Wireless) RUGBY. Sept. 29. The surprising number of place names is a feature of the detailed statement issued by the Air Ministry. in a bulletin regarding the R.A.F. attacks on Germany last night. The Bulletin states that the power stations in Berlin, the dockyards at Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. the munition factory at Hanau and rail communication centres over a wide area in Germany were among the many objectives attacked. Other strong forces operating at a shorter range raided the North Sea and Channel ports from Antwerp to Le Havre. The weather conditions over Germany last night were extremely bad, with low clouds entirely covering many of the target areas, and the downward visibility was often restricted to an occasional glimpse through a momentary break in the cloud layer. Despite this handicap to navigation, the raiders detailed tor Berlin completed their 600-mile flight to the German capital. Arriving over the citv on schedule about midnight, they located and bombed the west power; station and the main transformer and switching station at Friedrichsfelde. High explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped and bursts were seen close to the targets. A successful attack was also made on the railway junction at Tendal. some 65 miles due west of Berlin. Naval Dockyard Bombed A series of attacks by heavy bombei-s was made on the naval dockyard at Wilhelmshaven in the early hours of the morning. Bomb bursts were seen within the dock area. One well-aimed stick caused an explosion and an outburst of fire. The docks at Bremen were also bombed in a high-level attack carried out shortly after 2 o’clock in the morning. Strong forces of heavy bombers, penetrating deep into western Germany. attacked the large munition factory at Hanau, 15 miles east of Frankfurt-on-Main. This important plant, which produces metal alloys for aeroplanes, torpedo and submarine parts, and also bronze bearings for the variable pitch airscrews, was heavily bombed in shallow dive attacks. One of the first sorties scored direct hits on the factory buildings, causing erect explosions and fires, which led the following aircraft directly to the target. Sticks of high explosive bombs repeatedly straddled the plant. Admission from Goebbels Goebbels. broadcasting from Berlin, admitted that the R.A.F. raids over Germany had paralysed the work of the Hitler Youth in some quarters.