RIVAL ACTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 227, 24 September 1940, Page 7

RIVAL ACTION.

NIGHT ATTACKS. R.A.F. Over Germany; Nazis Raid England. United Press Association. —Copyright. (Reed. 1 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 23. Two communiques issued from Whitehall reveal rival aerial activity last night. An Air Ministry communique on last night's R.A.F. attacks on important targets in Germany and Channel ports, says a British Official Wireless message, states: "Our aircraft all returned safely from widespread operations in Germany, Holland, Belgium and France, which were carried out successfully during last night and the early hours of this morning. 4 "Important aluminium works at Lauta, north-east of Dresden, were bombed, and fires broke out. Railways in the neighbourhood were attacked at several points and near Dresden hits were scored on a supply train. "Strong forces of bombers also attacked docks, harbours and shipping at the enemy-occupied ports of Flushing, Antwerp, Dunkirk, Ostend, Zeebrugge, Calais and Brest." London Main Objective. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique cabled states that enemy activities consisted of attacks by relays of single aircraft. The main objective was again London, where attacks were widely scattered. Houses and industrial premises were damaged in several localities. There were a number of casualties, some fatal. Bombs also fell on some south-easterv. towns, where some damage and several casualties were caused. Ghastly sulphurous glows filling the sky in quick succession last night added a new feature to the., terrifying nightly spectacle over London. The glows appeared to be too prolonged for shell bursts and too short for flares, although they illuminated big areas. Attacks on Refineries. Some details of raids by the R.A.F. on Nazi oil refineries is revealed in authoritative London quarters to-day, says a British Official Wireless message. As early as the end of August repeated attacks had been delivered on all important oil refineries in northwest and west Germany, which account for the bulk of the total German refinery capacity and the largest of which possess storage installations which together form an important proportion of Germany's total storage capacity.

According to expert calculation these attacks, in addition to reducing the proportion of lubricating oil, resulted in the destruction of a quantity of finished stocks.

Aβ for synthetic oil 1,000,000 out of a total capacity of 2,500,000 tons is located in western Germany and has been heavily attacked during recent months, while a further 1,250,000 tons capacity, including the famous works in Madgeburg, Leipzig, are being included in the R.A.F.'s early autumn programme. GERMAN VIEWPOINTS. Destruction Claims On Both Land And Sea. DEFENCES STRENGTHENED. (Reed. 1 p.m.) LOXDOX, Sept. 23. A Berlin communique says: "A German motor torpedo' boat sank an armed merchant man and damaged a patrol ship off the British coast. Reprisals against L iidon were continued. British planes last night bombed north Germany, destroying numerous farm houses. "Single enemy planes reached Berlin, but no damage was done and no enemy planes were brought down. One of our plane? is missing. "A U-boat sank four enemy merchantmen, totalling 29,000 tons." A high- German source estimates that the Germans since August 10 dropped over 50,000,0001b of bombs on Britain, destroying or seriously damaging- 6000 factories and industrial plants, of which 1400 were in the London area. German authorities claim they have strengthened their own defences, which halted British raiders near Potsdam.