ACTIVITY OF R.A.F.

Southland Times, Issue 24181, 18 July 1940, Page 7

ACTIVITY OF R.A.F.

MEN HAMPERED BY WEATHER THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN AND SLEET MANY FIRES STARTED IN GERMANY (British Official Wireless) (Received July 17, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, July 16. Adverse weather greatly hampered British crews in the course of operations on Monday night by aircraft of the Bomber Command. To reach their objectives the British raiders had to fly almost continuously through severe thunderstorms and heavy rain and sleet. Widespread low clouds made detection of the targets most difficult and several raiding crews, after coming as low as they could, remained circling over the target areas for an hour or more until a gap in the clouds enabled them to locate and bomb their objectives. Nearly four and a-half tons of high explosive bombs, as well as a large number of incendiary bombs were dropped on an oil storage installation at Hanover in a series of raids beginning shortly after midnight and lasting about half an hour. Many hits were scored and in addition to fires started by incendiary bombs, a big fire followed the explosion of one heavy bomb. A large blast furnace at Hambom was left blazing after two divebombing attacks. In the first attack a direct hit resulted in a violent explosion. A few minutes later the target was again bombed from a low level and this time the bomber’s crew saw a great fire break out. An intense red flame, capped by a long plume of dense black smoke, flared up to a height of nearly 200 feet, clearly illuminating the furnace with its three tall chimneys and clusters of surrounding sheds. Another blast furnace was attacked during the night and though visiiblity hampered observation of results considerable damage is believed to have been caused. STORE RAIDED An aircraft equipment store at Paderborn was raided for the second night in succession, the bomber’s crew arriving over the target area during a severe thunderstorm which hid the moon and obscured the landmarks altogether. “We spent an hour and aquarter cruising around in search of the target,” said the pilot. “When at last we had made quite certain we were near we dropped a parachute flare and by its light saw 12 large camouflaged buildings like hangars in four rows. We made two dive attacks in quick succession.” Other aircraft attacked rail communication centres at Osnabruck, where particularly heavy antiaircraft fire prevented full observation of the results and at Hamm, where a hit on the railway sidings was followed by an explosion so violent that the concussion was felt in the aircraft several thousand feet above the target. At Dummer, some 20 miles from Osnabruck, a raider scored two direct hits on the main line in front of a supply train. AERODROMES ATTACKED Enemy aerodromes which serve as bases for raids on Britain continued to be harassed, both on Monday and during the night. In daylight raids medium bombers successfully attacked the aerodromes at Lisieux and Evereux in Normandy. The first of a line of heavy bombs burst near the main hangar at Evereux, the remaining explosions continuing for 100 yards northwards.. At Lisieux a large number of incendiary bombs fell all round twin-engined aircraft on the ground. Night raiders attacked Norderney aerodrome, setting fuel storage tanks and part of the administrative buildings on fire and in a dive-bombing attack on the Dekooy aerodrome a large hangar was set alight and four other fires started. GERMAN NEWS AGENCY ADMISSION VISIT BY BRITISH PLANES EVERY NIGHT BERLIN, July 16. A German High Command communique says: “Our aeroplanes yesterday attacked air fields at Pembroke, Chatham, Plymouth, end Bichester, and harbours and installations at Cardiff and Brighton and an aircraft factory at Yeovil, causing numerous fires and explosions. British aeroplanes again bombed Northern and Western Germany. No damage was done.” The German News Agency praising Germany’s air raid precautions efficiency, admits that not a night has passed without enemy aeroplanes appearing. It says that over the frontier from the North Sea to the Alps they are trying to penetrate Germany at a stratospherical height and described their attacks at cowardly. It alleges that military and industrial objectives are seldom attacked, but says : that the population of Northern and : Western Germany must realize that ; heavy sacrifices are necessary. < It declares that only 10 per cent, of , the attacks from May 10 to May 31 were : directed against big towns and 5 per cent, against middle-sized towns. The 1 remainder were against villages. The damage done to industrial plant, rail- i way installations and other objectives : has not resulted in a serious disturb- 1 ance. ■ FRENCH RAILWAYS • RESUME (Received July 17, 11.30 p.m.) ’ LONDON, July 17. j The Swiss wireless says that the 1 French railways have resumed their i services between Paris, Lyons and ; Toulon. i