NIGHTLY HAMMERING OF INVASION BASES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 229, 26 September 1940, Page 7

NIGHTLY HAMMERING OF INVASION BASES.

RELENTLESS R.A.F. Attacks, From Hamburg To Havre Last 7 Hours. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 25. While the long-distance raids on Germany were in progress, other strong forces of Royal Air Force bombers, operating at short range, kept up their nightly hammering of the enemy's invasion ports from Hamburg to Le Havre. Fires were started •t Hamburg docks. Bombs straddled Jhe shipping bases at Cherbourg and pt the Dutch port of Delfzijl. At Ostend repeated hits were scored on basins and on liarbour jetties. Calais docks were a target for one of the might's heaviest bombardments. These were subjected to a series of attacks lasting nearly seven hours. Barges lying alongside the quays were hit. Fires and explosions were seen in many parts of the harbour before four o'clock on Wednesday morning and more than thirty fires were counted burning within the docks. At Le Havre raids began at 10 p.m. Aid continued at intervals until five o'clock on Wednesday morning. Lock gates were hit, warehouses set alight, and many other fires started. A violent explosion marked a direct hit on what ( appeared to be a harbour power station. Strong opposition from ground defences was encountered at Boulogne and direct hits were claimed here on the wall of one dock and on jetties between the basins and in many parts of the outer harbour. A particularly big explosion followed by lire was seen to occur in No. 7 dock.

The German long-range gun positions at Cap Oris Nez were also attacked shortly before dawn and numbers of hits were registered on new emplacements under construction.

FAMOUS STORE HIT. BOMBS IN THE WEST END. (Reed. 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY,' Sept. 25. Selfridges, Oxford Street, in the West End, is among the several departmental stores which have suffered damage in the course of recent enemy night bombing. An Indian students' hostel Jias also been damaged. AGAINST BRIDGES.

AMERICAN LEGION'S DEMAND. (Reed. 2 p.m.) BOSTON, Sept. 25. The American Legion, at a convention, approved a resolution that Harry Bridges, Australian-born • leader of the Longshoremen's Union on the Pacific coast, shoc-ld be deported.