RAID ON RHINELAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 September 1939, Page 7

RAID ON RHINELAND

MADE BY ALLIED PLANES INDUSTRIAL CITIES BOMBED HEAVILY. FRENCH LAND ATTACKS. (Received This Day. 9.20 a.m.) PARIS, September 6. Unofficial despatches report a French tank advance toward Saarbrucken and raids by 300 Allied aeroplanes in the Rhineland industrial sector. The despatches indicated penetration of the German lines at Saarbrucken and an aerial bombardment ■ of Aix-La-Chappelle. A London message states that French attacks on Tuesday night were ; concentrated on the north-east fron- ; tier, near the Saar Basin. The newspaper “Midi” states that Allied aeroplanes heavily bombed Rhineland industrial centres, mainly around Aix-La-Chappelle. The “Midi” adds that according to a despatch from Brussels, Eschweiller, near Aix-La-Chapelle. suffered heavily in the raids. A report from Paris, transmitted by radio, states that French troops, supported by tanks, penetrated the German lines, near Luxemburg. The attack followed a heavy artillery duel, which was particularly violent in the Moselle region. AIR RAID ALARM (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) PARIS, September 6. An air raid alarm coincided with a communique announcing French advances on the Western Front. There was no undue excitement except the rush to shelters. No bombing occurred. AIR BATTLE BRITISH PLANES SHOT DOWN OVER HAMBURG. ACCORDING TO GERMAN REPORT. (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) BERLIN, September 6. A German communique reports that two British scouting planes were shot down during an air battle over Hamburg. ESBJERG BOMBING RESPONSIBILITY ACCEPTED BY BRITAIN. AIRCRAFT NOT IDENTIFIED. By Telegraph—P -~s Association—Copyright (Received This Day, 9.25 a.m.) LONDON September 6. The Ministry of Information says the British Minister to Denmark has been instructed to apologise for the unfortunate bombing at Esbjerg on September 4. Stringent inquiries established that none of the aircraft raiding the German naval bases was responsible, but since Denmark stated that the bombs were of British make, Britain had no alternative but to accept. His Majesty’s Minister at Copenhagen has been instructed to express to the Danish Government the profound regret of his Majesty’s Government for the most unfortunate accident in which damage was caused to Danish lives and property by a bomb or bombs which may have been dropped from a British bombing aeroplane over Esbjerg.

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