MORE BLOWS AT HAMBURG

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21822, 27 November 1940, Page 5

MORE BLOWS AT HAMBURG

Shipyards Bombed British Official Wireless RUGBY. November 25. Hamburg bore the brunt of a widespread Royal Air Force attack on German docks and shipyards last night. The Blohm and Voss shipbuilding yards there, which have been so often raided in recent weeks, were once again visited by British heavy bombers, according to the Air Ministry news service. The first attack was made between seven and eight o’clock in the evening and during an hour many tons of high explosive bombs and nearly 2000 incendiary bombs were dropped on the vast acreage of the most important privately-owned shipyard in Germany. The reason for so many raids on this one objective is that no one raid could destroy more than part of the shipyards, and it is certain that the Germans will have been making every effort to repair the widespread damage already done. This yard has four slips, 800 feet long by 80 feet wide and eight floating docks. During recent years an enormous graving dock has been building, and if the Royal Air Force had allowed it, would have been ready this year. So extensive are the yards that the great Blohm and Voss aeroplane factories appear, when seen from the air to be merely a small appendage. There was thick cloud over Hamburg, but in spite of every obstacle, the Royal Air Force pilots were able to see their bombs exploding on the target and afterwards they observed a good number of fires and explosions. A second attack was made about 4 a.m. Though bursts were seen on the yards, clouds prevented a final observation. Medium bombers also raided the Rhenania Ossag refineries in the Grasbrook district of Hamburg and the gasworks at Altona. Some of the pilots found so unbroken a blanket of cloud over Hamburg that they sought alternative targets. At Harburg the important Norddeutsche chemical works was hit and afterwards many fires and explosions were seen. Through a gap in the clouds over Wilhelmshaven bombs were dropped from north to south across the dockyard. At the Dutch port of Den Helder a large dockside warehouse was seen to collapse in the glare of exploding bombs. A small force attacked the docks at Boulogne shortly before 7 p.m. Bombs exploded on a dock near a railway bridge, also on a wet dock where a large fire was started. An Air Ministry communique, dealing with the operations, states: “Early on Sunday morning aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked the aerodrome at Christlansund. Other aircraft attacked the harbour at the Hook of Holland. The Fleet Air Arm, operating with the Coastal Command, bombed the dock at Boulogne. “Last night the Bomber Command again concentrated its attacks on shipyards and industrial plants in Hamburg. Many fires and explosions followed the bombing. “Other targets last night included the docks, and chemical factory at Har-

burg-Wilhelmsburg, part of Boulogne, the Den Helder dockyard, anti-aircraft and searchlight position and enemy aerodrome and seaplane bases. One of our machines is missing.” French Coast Bombed Miles of the French coast were illuminated last night as the R-A.F. bombed the German long range guns which were simultaneously shelling over the Channel. The firing was the heaviest yet heard in Kent. The explosions were almost continuous for three and a half hours. The British long range guns replied furiously.