BIG HAMBURG FIRES UNDER HEAVY CLOUD

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 178, 30 July 1942, Page 5

BIG HAMBURG FIRES UNDER HEAVY CLOUD

RJBLIWESBm Fighters Attack Goods Trains In France 1 m and British Wireless. Rec, 2 p.m. LONDON, July 29. Last night's attack on Hamburg was marked by a deterioration of the weather over Germany, which made it difficult to observe the results and increased the risks of the attack, states the Air Ministry news service. Storm, icing and clouds were experienced along the whole route, with continuous cloud over Hamburg. In spite of the weather, however, a large part of the force reached and bombed Hamburg. It was very clear under the cloud, and some of the crews bombed from 1000 ft, but the machines were silhouetted against the cloud and exposed to the full force of the formidable defences. A pilot who went below said it was as clear as daylight, and a rear gunner said there were, a few breaks in the cloud, through' which he saw the river and docks clearly. Their bombs started several fires. Large .fires were reported by members of the returning crews. Thirty-two bombers are missing from all operations. Reports from Berlin state that the British bombers in their latest attack on Hamburg caused fires and damage. R.A.F. fighters to-day attacked over 20 goods trains in occupied France and enemy shipping in the Channel. Three fighters are missing. A small number of enemy aircraft were over eastern England last night and a few bombs were dropped; causing some damage and a small number of casualties at one point. Two enemy fighters were destroyed "by a Coastal Command patroL "Good Time Coming for Berlin** [ Suggestions that a gentlemen's .agreement exists between the British and the Germans that they shall not bomb each other's capital is authoritatively denied in London. A gentlemen's agreement with Germany, it is pointed out, would be a contradiction in terms. The Germans would not adhere to any such agreement, which they would break the moment it suited them. It is commented: "There is a good time coming for Berlin."

The continuity of the Bomber Command's attacks on the German war machine can be gauged from the fact that during the month ending June 25 there were only three periods of 24 hours when no operations took place. The raids included 13 where the bombing force exceeded 300 machines. The bomb tonnage dropped was not quite the heaviest recorded, but if the two months from May 25 to July 25 be taken the total tonnage dropped substantially exceeded that dropped in any other two months of the war. The figures for these two months compared favourably with the German tonnage dropped during a similar period in the attacks on Britain. Over 500 tons were dropped on Duisburg, in the Ruhr, on July 25, and 700 tons on Hamburg on the same day. WEIRD R.A.F. BOMB Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, July 29. Zurich reports quote a Rhineland newspaper as saying that the R.A.F. phosphorus incendiary bombs make a splash and stick to everything. They kill cattle that eat them and fragments sticking to footwear cause fires if carried into buildings.