GERMANY RAIDED

Opotiki News, Volume III, Issue 318, 2 October 1940, Page 3

GERMANY RAIDED

BRITISH BOMBERS MARSHALLING YARDS OIL PLANTS SET AFIRE PORTS AGAIN ATTACKED FRAN CO-BELGIAN COAST (News by Cable.) LONDON, Sept. 30. The British Air Ministry announces that) the Royal Air Force again attacked marshalling yards, oil plants and aluminium works in Germany, and also French and Belgian ports and gun emplacements near Cap Gris Nez. Attacks on oil plants figured among the operations against the enemy carried out by the Royal Air Force last night, states the Air Ministry news service. . There was a heavy attack on an oil refinery and storage plant at Magdeburg. A plant known as the Braunkohlen Benzin A.G., situated 200 miles inland from Germany’s western frontier, was subjected to a series of raids which began shortly after 11 jd. m. and continued for nearly three hours. Ground haze over the city and the glare of many searchlights hampered the bomber crews in the early stages of the attack, but later many fires started by. incendiary bombs illuminated the target. Multi-Coloured Fires Attacking in shallow dives and often from a low level, the raiders straddled the oil plant with high explosives, leaving a trail of multicoloured fires and spasmodic explosions in their wake. The raiders taking part in this attack also bombed the railway at the southern exit of the city, and started fires close to a main line junction. Meanwhile at Stuttgart, 260 miles away in western Germany, other forces of heavy bombers were launching attacks against a large coal-gas plant and a Bosch factory which produces magnetos, sparking plugs, and - other electrical equipment for the German services. A stick of heavy calibre bombs which tell across the gas-works caused 10 seperate explosions accompanied by brilliant white flashes.

The Bosch works were subjected to bombardment for 15 minutes from varying heights. These works are also believed to have been heavily hit, as a large fire was seen blazing in the area as the bombing ceased Railway Centres

An aluminium factory at Bitterfeld, 20 miles north of Leipzig, and rail communication centres were other targets in Germany successfully attacked during the night. Other night-raiding forces, maintaining their pressure on possible invasion bases, attacked shipping concentrations and harbours at Osand Lorient.

The Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Dr. Goebbels, broadcasting yesterday admitted that the Royal Air Force raids over Germany had paralysed the work of the Hitler youth movement in some districts.

Neutral correspondents report that Berlin had two alarms yesterday, the first for an hour and the second for half an hour.