NOW BEGINNING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1941, Page 6

NOW BEGINNING

GREATEST AIR OFFENSIVE IN HISTORY Rising Power of British Attacks on Germany POWERFUL ONSLAUGHTS BY DAY AND NIGHT LATEST SWEEPS OVER NORTHERN FRANCE LONDON, June 25. The R.A.F. today continued its onslaught on the enemy by making two more successful sweeps in daylight over Northern France, in the first sweep, early this afternoon, an ammunition train was blown up and seven enemy aircraft were destroyed, in the second sweep, six more nghters were accounted for, making a total of 13 enemy planes destroyed, against five British nghters reported missing. An Air Ministry communique, describing the early afternoon sweep, states that shortly after midday Blenheim bombers, strongly escorted by fighters, attacked a railway goods yard 30 miles from the French coast. Bombs were seen to burst on the goods yard and an ammunition train was blown up. Dense masses of smoke hung over the yard. Direct hits were made on two railway bridges, one of w r hich collapsed. British fighters destroyed seven of the enemy and two British fighters are missing. No details have yet been received of the second sweep, but it is known that six enemy fighters were destroyed, while three British fighters are missing. Heavy explosions were heard in the direction of Boulogne. It is pointed out that the British offensive sweeps over Northern France are the beginning of the • most gigantic air offensive in the world’s history. The official German news agency admits that heavy damage was caused at several points in last night’s attack on Germany, which was the fourteenth night in succession in which R.A.F. raids were made. Last night the targets included objectives in Cologne, Duseldorff and Kiel. Two British planes failed to return. In London, it is stated that what was happening now in the increasing air raids on Germany was only a beginning; much worse was to come for Germany. Already, in attacks on Germany, Britain had sent on a single night as many bombers as Germany had sent to this country during the worst blitz attacks last winter. It is pointed out that the British planes include some of the latest bombers, with a bomb-load capacity three times as great as that of machines used a short time ago. There was only slight enemy air activity over Britain, but five enemy bombers were destroyed.