GREAT DAMAGE IN GERMANY

Southland Times, Issue 24158, 21 June 1940, Page 7

GREAT DAMAGE IN GERMANY

Heavy Explosions At Bremen FIRES STARTED AT HAMBURG (British Official Wireless) (Received June 20, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, June 19. Graphic details are available of the Royal Air Force heavy bomber attacks on the north-west of Germany on Tuesday night. At Bremen more than 250 bombs were dropped within 10 minutes, causing heavy explosions among oil tanks and starting numerous fires. Hamburg was subjected to a series of raids which began shortly after midnight and lasted until near dawn. Salvos repeatedly straddled a large oil depot near the docks and fires kindled by earlier attacks became so widespread that the blaze could be seen by our homeward bound aircraft as they crossed thfe German coast 80 miles distant. At Castrop high explosive bombs fell on a petroleum refinery. Flames were immediately seen to break out and after one raider had left the target the tail gunner, looking back, saw a great explosion take place. DIRECT HIT ON BUILDING Storage tanks at Misburg, close to Hanover, were also systematically bombed. A direct hit on a large building in the centre of the target, believed to be a power house, resulted in an explosion felt by the crew of the aircraft 10,000 feet above. Here, too, fierce fires which broke out could be seen by the raiding crews long after they had left the target area. Another power house is believed to have been destroyed in an attack on oil tanks at Sterkrage, where British bombers pressed home the attack despite intense anti-aircraft fire. Other sections of night raiders, with railway communications in the Rhineland and the Ruhr as their objectives, attacked marshalling yards, rail junctions and supply trains. Direct hits were registered on *railway junctions at Bladbach, Wesel and Arsbech and fires were started in crowded marshalling yards at Schwerte. RAILWAY YARD ATTACKED At Dusseldorf a series of attacks was launched against the principal railway yard. Twenty-one separate fires were counted within this yard by the rear gunner of the last aircraft to leave the scene.

Two goods trains standing in a marshalling yard at Soest were both hit with heavy calibre bombs and the yard itself was left enveloped in a pall of black smoke, through which numerous small explosions could be seen. A third tram steaming out of the yard at Soest was heavily machine-gunned' from a low level. Another train, believed to have been loaded with munitions, was caught in a cutting near Cologne and struck by three heavy bombs. Explosions, accompanied by great clouds of smoke, at once broke out among the wagons. A machine-gun mounted on the train opened fire on a British bomber, which promptly retaliated by coming low and machine-gunning the full length of the wrecked train. Other military objectives attacked during the night included a power station at Schilau, in the environs of Hamburg, where direct hits resulted in vivid zigzag flashes which lit up the whole target area and large munitions works at Cologne were set alight and left with flames blazing several hundred feet high. Royal Air Force bombers yesterday carried out a number of reconnaissance flights over Northern France, Belgium and Holland. Others attacked columns of motor transport approaching Cherbourg. These were thrown into disorder and many vehicles were destroyed. All the British aircraft returned safely. Fighter patrols over the Cherbourg area shot down one enemy bomber yesterday. Two British aircraft failed to return, but the pilot of one was seen to make a parachute landing. Coastal Command aircraft attacked an enemy seaplane base at Helder on the Dutch coast this morning. Large fires were started among the buildings.

PRODUCTION EXCEEDS CASUALTY LIST SURPLUS ENGINES ON HAND LONDON, June 19. The Minister of Aircraft Production (Lord Beaverbrook) told the Australian Associated Press that aircraft production in Britain in every category since May 10 exceeded the total casualty list, including casualties caused by accident at home.

“Aircraft production and repairs have replenished the stocks,” he said. “There is now on hand a very good surplus stock of engines. The public should give thanks for this immense effort to all aircraft factories and engine shops workers who have striven night and day, without time off for recreation and regardless of the pleasures and amenities of life. Their conduct is beyond praise. We can place our future in their keeping with confidence. CHILD REFUGEES FOR DOMINIONS ■ (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, June 19. Mr Geoffrey Shakespeare, Undersecretary for the Dominions, emphasized to parents that their decision whether to send their children to the Dominions or not would depend on their weighing the relative hazards of the sea voyage or of remaining in Britain. Parents would not accompany their children, except in special cases, such as soldiers’ widows. No children would be sent to institutions. Their safety throughout the voyage was being discussed between the Admiralty and the Ministry of Shipping. As soon as possible after the war, the children would receive passage homewards, both passages to be free. It was .estimated that 400,000 children in England and more than 30,000 in Scotland are at present in reception areas. The Government was anxious that Allied refugee children should take their proper place within the scheme. It was hoped that many would remain overseas as part of a balanced migration scheme. All would be thoroughly medically examined in Britain before departure.