ROYAL AIR FORCE ATTACKS INVASION BASES

Southland Times, Issue 24239, 24 September 1940, Page 5

ROYAL AIR FORCE ATTACKS INVASION BASES

Reflection Of Flames In Sea Stretches To Kent

(United Press Association —Telegraph Copyright) (Received September 23, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 22.

With the weather ideal for an invasion attempt, the Royal Air Force for some hours delivered its fiercest attack on the invasion bases. A big crowd in England watched the continuous, miles-long illumination. The reflection in the sea stretched to Kent. Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk were severely plastered, but there was no port or inlet along the coast that did not receive a visit during the night.

Methodically, hour after hour, the British bombers continued to work destruction on Boulogne. A great fire on the quayside tended to dwarf many others in the harbour; Big explosions were observed at intervals. Barges were flaming throughout the night. There were also numerous barge fires at Dunkirk.

After repeated big explosions a blazing warehouse illuminated Ostend harbour, but vast columns of smoke from another fire north-westwards of the main basin hindered bomb aimers.

The Royal Air Force dive-bombed Calais harbour and set fire to the whole target area. Direct hits scored on four large ships resulted in dense clouds of white vapour. Other salvoes extinguished searchlights.

An Air Ministry communique states that the Royal Air Force continued its attacks on the enemy invasion bases in the Channel ports yesterday and last night. During the day aircraft from the Bomber Command attacked the port of Flushing and its defences and concentrations of barges and light draught vessels at Rotterdam, Antwerp and Ost" end, near Terneuzen in Holland, and in Calais and on the St. Omer canal. Aircraft of the Coastal Command operated successfully against enemy ships at sea. A convoy of 12 merchant vessels was bombed near Boulogne. Patrolling aircraft attacked ' a supply ship of large tonnage south of Borkum and incendiary bombs were observed to strike the vessel. When smaller ships were attacked near the Dutch Island of Ameland a direct hit on one was followed by an explosion. During the night, from shortly after dusk until nearly dawn, the ports of Ostend, Dunkirk, Boulogne and Calais were heavily bombed by aircraft of the Bomber Command. Many bombs were seen to burst with good effect on ships, barges and docks and the attacks were punctuated by fires ?nd explosions. From these operations all the aircraft returned safely. MOONLIGHT AIDS RAIDERS Moonlight aided the British raiders in their attack on Flushing during Friday night’s raids. A. squadron-leader who took part in the attack stated that even from a considerable height he could plainly see the docks and everything in them.

“We came up to the waterway at a pretty good height, put the nose of the machine down and made a dive attack,” he said. “Searchlights picked us up and the guns kept on at us until we turned off. Our bombs fell right across some warehouses on the dockside and though I was too busy weaving in and out to see very much my second pilot, who had a good look, round, told me that we started three small fires and a large one which may have been a petrol, dump. The captain of another aircraft who came along a bit later said he found our fires still going and stoked them up with a few more bombs.”

A pilot officer who followed the squadron-leader into the attack said: “We were just getting into position for the run in when we saw him dive down with a flare all coming up behind him. We saw his bombs burst and four fires start. We then went out to sea a little way, turned and dived in after him.” One of the pilots who bombed Ostend was a New Zealander who was recently awarded the D.F.C. He was confident of having damaged a large supply ship in the harbour. Two Lockheed Hudsons of the Coastal Command scored direct hits on two enemy ships off the Dutch coast during Friday night. They had completed routine patrols and finding that they had plenty of petrol in reserve, searched Dutch coastal waters for possible targets. One aircraft found a destroyer near Ameland. It was barely visible even in the moonlight and the pilot had difficulty in keeping it in sight as he prepared to dive bomb. One salvo was seen to fall 20 yards on the warship’s beam. GERMAN SHIP HIT . The pilot next found a convoy sheltering in the lee of a Dutch island. Selecting a vessel of between 6000 and 8000 tons for a target, he made a dive attack with explosive and incendiary bombs. Part of the salvo hit the ship and burst behind the bridge. “The explosion blew us upwards,” said the pilot. “Heavy anti-aircraft fire opened from the shore, but our chief danger was from flying bits of burning debris from the ship. 1 went down to the water to avoid

the enemy’s fire. From a long way off we could see the glow from

the ship. “A second Hudson attacked the ship, which was just visible under the low moon as a long narrow outline On the water. There was a huge flash as the bombs hit a solid target,” said the pilot. “A big explosion followed four seconds later. We were at 500 feet and going away fast, but inside the aircraft we could hear the thud of the explosion and its force threw us forward. The last we saw was a shower of burning debris.”