UTMOST EFFECT

Opotiki News, Volume III, Issue 323, 18 October 1940, Page 1

UTMOST EFFECT

BRITISH BOMBING NAZI CHANNEL PORTS INTERCEPTION FAILS big fires started DOCKS AND STORES RUGBY, Oct. 16. Further details of the Royal Air Force raids last night on the Channel ports have been made available by the Air Ministry. Coastal Command Blenheims which raided Flushing and Terneuzen all reported great enemy fighter .activity along the Dutch coast and well out to sea. Every effort to harass the British bombers, however, was unsuccessful and the bombing carried out was w.tl. the utmost effect. The German fighters tried to intercept the Blenheims as they made preliminary runs over the targets, but every attempt failed.

Lock gates and fuel stores were among the principal targets. An immense fire was started at a large oil dump at Terneuzen. Numerous direct hits were made on the Flushing docks and on targets in the landward waterways. While one Blenheim was approach., ing Ostend the pilot observed an enemy aircraft circling ahead and also the fiarepath of the aerodrome being lit. Before it could be extinguished tlie flare path had been used as an aiming mark and the landing ground was straddled with a full load of high-explosive and incendiary bombs. Clear in Moonlight Two power stations at the naval base at Lorient were .the main points of attack by other forma-

tions of Blenheims. The pilots and observers found railways, bridges and waterways clearly distinguish-, able in the moonlight and were able to fix their target areas exactly. Fleet Air Arm aircraft operating with the Coastal Command dropped large-calibre bombs on harbour works and shipping at Brest. A chain of fire started in the vicinity of the power station and on railway sidings. Hudsons of the Coastal Command were active on the Dutch.coast. One pilot made an effective dive-bombing attack on the inner harbour at Willemsoord. Another Hudson glided 7000 ft. to bomb enemy destroyers off Texel. A Heinkel float plane was met head-on in the English Channel by a Coastal Command Blenheim fighter. The Heinkel spun into the sea and sank after two bursts of ma-chine-gun fire.