MASS OF WRECKAGE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21193, 16 August 1940, Page 6

MASS OF WRECKAGE

ATTACK ON BORDEAUX OIL REFINERIES FIRED SCENE OF DESTRUCTION (Official wireless) (Received August 16, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, August 15 Last night’s attack on Bordeaux will have entirely deprived the enemy of the use of oil refineries and storage tanks—among the most important in France—so severe was the damage inflicted. An extraordinary scene of destruction was witnessed by pilots taking part in the raid. The refineries, with their buildings and great storage tanks nearby, were reduced by a succession of heavy and accurate attacks to a vast mass of blazing wreckage, from which streams of burning oil could be seen flowing along the ground. It was a fine, clear night, and as the conflagration grew it was steadily fed at regular intervals by exploding tanks. The glare could be seen from great distances, one pilot seeing it from 140 miles away. Often in the course of such raids the pilots who arrive after the earlier attacks are helped in their task by fires already in progress. Last night, however, so many fires had been started that several pilots found the mass of flames below them made identification of the targets more difficult. Gallantry of Pilot The aerodrome was bombed from a height of only 50 feet. Four heavy bombs were dropped and one crashed into a hangar. A few seconds later bombs exploded with devastating \ effect. | The bomber immediately became the target of a hail of pom-pom . shells, but the pilot returned safely to his base. Another aircraft attacked the Wizarness aerodrome, south of Stonier, from 2000 feeU It bombed

a group of transport vehicles gathered on the landing ground. The pilot then descended still lower and machine-gunned the men as they dashed for shelter. The Morlaix aerodrome, in Brittany, was hit by four heavy bombs from a height of 2500 feet.