HEAVY DAMAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 229, 26 September 1940, Page 8

HEAVY DAMAGE.

CLAIMS BY FRENCH.

Threat To Repeat Raid On

Gibraltar.

United Press Association.—Copyright. (Reed. 10 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 20. It is officially stated from Gibraltar that 20 or more aeroplanes of French type dropped 100 bombs on the Rock from 20,000 ft, killing four persons and wounding 12. Anti-air-craft batteries from the ground and warships shot down at least one machine. The raid lasted four hours, the longest yet. The official Vichy account of the raid states: "Retaliating for the shelling of Dakar, an important number of planes yesterday dropped 45 tons yf bombs on Gibraltar, hitting an arsenal on the south mole and one big ship. Heavy smoke was observed. "The bombs caused far greater damage than any past Italian or German raid, and it will not be the last reprisal if the British continue to shell Dakar." The Berlin news agency stated that French planes continued bombing Gibraltar this morning. The Vichy Minister for the Navy, Admiral Darlan, announced that 120 French aeroplanes had raided Gibraltar as a reprisal for the action at Dakar and had dropped 100 bombs, which caused extensive fires in petrol dumps and the arsenal i-*A .message from La Linea (Spain) says 30 aeroplanes took part in the raid against Gibraltar, which lasted for an hour and a half. Black smoke from fires enveloped the Rock. A message from Berlin states that Hitler received Senor Suner, the Spanish Minister of the Interior. Italian newspapers carry editorials on their front pages which suggest that Spain's entry into the war is imminent.