FIGHTING OFF INVASION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 223, 19 September 1940, Page 7

FIGHTING OFF INVASION

Greatest R.A.F. Raid Of War

ENEMY HAMMERED Relentless Smashing Of Barge And Shipping Bases (British Official Wireless.—Kec. 1 p.m.) RUGBY, September 18. A steady, increasing pressure on the German-held Channel ports is being exerted by the Bomber Command of the R.A.F., which last night sent one of the largest forces of British bombers so far used in the war to continue the relentless "forestalling offensive" which for nearly a fortnight now has been going on against the German invasion plan. While the potential invasion spearhead—French, Belgian, Dutch and Channel coasts, barges, docks, harbours and gun emplacements—were receiving yet another terrific onslaught, other forces of R.A.F. bombers flew north-east to pound the right wing of the enemy's line in Hamburg and to add further to the destruction in those strategic railway yards and junctions on Germany's western frontier which have already taken so much punishment. At Calais a fire about a quarter of a mile long was left raging on the west side of the basin of the Carnot and the Medley. Lesser fires broke out near the south-west corner of another basin and down the railway lines on the east basin of the Carnot. Later a salvo of bombs on the east side of >he basin caused an immediate explosion, followed by about 60 others. The tidal lock was straddled and heavily hit, and the line of bombs left a track of flames between the canal and the south-east corner of the basin of the Carnot. About ten o'clock there was a heavy explosion on the dockside, and bombs were seen bursting about the lock gates. The sides of the basin of de Louest were also hit. Big gun emplacements in the region of Floringzelles, Harinzelles, Franzelles, near Cap Gris Nez, were definitely identified by the raiders in brilliant moonlight and heavily attacked. Many of the pilots saw bombs exploding well within the target area. Tremendous Attack On Boulogne. Large numbers of fires were also started at Dunkirk, at least six docks being hit. Boulogne had another tremendous attack, and one sortie just after midnight was particularly successful. Attacking through broken clouds, aircraft released a quantity of bombs, which fell on barges and other ships in the harbour, flames blazing up from the burning barges and a warehouse showing 20 miles out tp sea at about three o'clock this morning. Zeebrugge was fiercely attacked. Sticks of high explosives fell on the dock basin and across the harbour entrance, along the entrance to the Channel, over the inner. harbour on the north basin, across the famous mole and on a group of five cargo boats. At Ostend the outer and inner harbours, main docks and the south side of the basin of the de Chouage were all hit, and a group of about 30 barges was bombed. Another wave of attackers hit the east end of the main docks, the basin of the de Chasse, timber wharves, the mole to the north of the lock gates and the railway station. ,A Big barge concentration in the harbour of Terneuzen, south-east of Flushing, was spotted and one of the raiders, havinglurked in the clouds for nearly an hour awaiting the right moment, hurtled down on them in dive attacks. His bombs fell right 'across the barges. There was a series of explosions, then spreading flames, and, as he climbed to 1 0,000 ft, the last tremendous explosion.

Another shallow dive attack resulted in hits along the sides of the entrance to the Channel and among barges moored to the banks of the Ghent Canal. The crackle of minor explosions followed when barges, crowded together at the canal junction near the locks, were hit by other sticks of heavy bombs and incendiaries.

Antwerp docks again took heavy punishment. Incendiary bombs started great fires on the quays, while shipping lying in the Scheldt and in the riverside dock was repeatedly hit. Bomber After Bomber Drops Salvoes. Flying suddenly out of the clouds, bomber after bomber dropped its salvoes on the port and ships, then disappeared again into the clouds, while guns thundered below. One bomber scored six direct hits on ships moored at the town quay. Over Flushing a bomb aimer who dropped a stick of high explosives could not see the bursts, but remarked significantly that after the attack the barge concentration was seen to have opened up and altered its shape. Here, too, pilots waited in the clouds some time until the right moment arrived, then made dive attacks and straddling ships and docks with bombs. One pilot bombed a string of four ships off the coast as well as barges in the outer harbour Fires were seen in the docks at Hamburg after they had been bombed early fb-day. Other objectives of the night's operations included railway yard's at Krefeld, Hamm, Osnarbruck, Soest and Brussels. Yards at Stockum, north-east of Cologne, were also attacked, as were aerodromes at Midlum and Wesermunde. It is thought that one of two large ships sunk by a R.A.F. bomber in Cherbourg Harbour last night when a number of ships were attacked, was a destroyer One other ship.known to have been sunk is estimated to be 5000 tons. Much other damage was caused in the raid. When it ended there was a nng of flames round the harbour from burning buildings and vessels. R.A.F. bombers had carried put daylight attacks oh Ostend, on the shipping at Zeebrugge. on a convoy and barge*jo ff the Dutch coast, and the aerodrome at Ijmuiden From all these operations two bombers have not reported to their base. Ammunition Train Hit. R.A F. pilots who took part in the attack on enemy invasion ports on Tuesday night describe the flying £±£ There was bright moonlight, with no cloud over the enemy s coast line. , .. The British pilots could clearly make out the docks and rail, the quaysides. One said: "We tion at all There were a few searchlights, but nothing toworry about. It was just like bombing there were dozens of fires burning at Ostend. When we go there it was as light as day. We ran inland, seven or on the railway sidings. Our first stick o rbombs eight fires. It looked as though we had hit an W t»° n ,tram for explosions broke out—all sorts of colours, white, red and yellow Then, as we turned to make a second run "PjH"™ 8 a terrific upheaval. Stuff came up like a gigantic thin at the bottom and spreading right out at the top.Vej« flving at 5000 feet, and the force of the explosion threw us up about 50 feet."