TERRIFIC ONSLAUGHT

Evening Star, Issue 23685, 19 September 1940, Page 9

TERRIFIC ONSLAUGHT

RAIDS Mi INVASION BASES GREAT FORGE OF BOMBERS IN ACTION SMASHING ATTACKS ON POUTS (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright tf TIUGBY, September 18. (Received September 19, at 10.40 a.m.) Steadily 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 of the offensive ” which for nearly a fortnight has now been going on against the German invasion plan. While the potential invasion spearhead—the French, Belgian, and Dutch 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. DEVASTATION AT CALAIS. At Calais a fire about a quarter of a mile long was left raging on the west side of the Basin Carnot, and a medley of lesser fires broke out near the southwest corner of another basin and down the railway lines on the east of the Basin Carnot. Later, a salvo of bombs on the east side of the basin caused an immediate explosion, followed by about 60 others. The tidal lock was straddled and heavily hit, and a line of bombs left the track in flames between the canal and the south-east corner of the Basin Carnot. About 10 o’clock there was a heavy explosion on the dockside, and bombs were seen bursting about the lock gates. The sides of the Basin’ de Louest were also hit.

Big guu emplacements in the region of Fworingzelles, Harinzelles, and Franzelles, near Cap Gris Nez, were definitely identified by raiders in the brilliant moonlight and heavily attacked. Many of the pilots saw their bombs exploding well within the target area. Large numbers of fires were also started at Dunkirk, at least six docks being hit. GREAT FIRES AT BOULOGNE. / Boulogne had another * treihendous attack, and one sortie just after midnight was particularly successful. Attacking through the broken clouds, our 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 were showing 20 miles out to sea about 3 o’clock this morning. BELGIAN PORTS HAMMERED. 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, the main docks, and the south side of the Basin Dechouage were all hit, and a group of about 30 barges bombed. Another wave of attackers hit the east end of the main docks, the Basin Dechasse, the timber wharves, the mole 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, having lurked in the clouds for nearly an hour while awaiting the right moment, hurtled down on them in’ dive attacks. . His bombs fell, right across the barges. There was a series of explosions and then spreading flames, and, as he climbed to 10,000 ft, a last tremendous explosion. Other shallow dive attacks resulted in hits along the sides of the entrance to the channel and among the barges moored to the banks of the Ghent Canal. A 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. • The Antwerp docks again took heavy punishment. Incendiaries started great fires on the quays, while shipping lying in the Scheldt and in the riverside dock were repeatedly hit.

Flying suddenly out of the clouds, bomber after bomber dropped its salvos on the port and ships, and then disappeared again into the clouds, while guns thundered below. One bomber scored six direct hits on ships moored at the town quay. Over Flashing the bomb aimer, who dropped a stick of high explosives, could nob 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, the pilots waited in the clouds for some time until the right moment arrived ; then they made dive attacks, 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 to-day. OTHER OBJECTIVES. Other objectives in the night’s operations included railway yards at Krefeld, Hamm, Osnabruck, Soest, and Brussels. Yards at Stockum, north-east of Cologne, were also attacked, as were aerodromes at Midlum and Viesermunde. It is thought that one of two large

ships was sunk by a R.A.F. bomber in Cherbourg Harbour last night, when a • number of ships were attacked. Another ship known to have been sunk is estimated at 5,000 tons. Much, other damage was caused in the raid. *When it ended there was a ring of flames round the harbour from the burning buildings and vessels. R.A.F. bombers had carried out daylight attacks on Ostend, on shipping at Zeebrugge, on a convoy and barges off the Dutch coast, and the aerodrome at Ijmuiden. From all these operations two bombers have not reported at the base. AFTERNOON OPERATIONS. Medium bombers of the R.A.F. were again over Zeebrugge and Ostend yesterday afternoon, states an Air Ministry bulletin. Direct hits were made on the harbour installations at Ostend and at Zeebrugge, and ships were bombed. One aircraft attacked four barges off the coast, and direct hits on two of them were claimed. Another raider bombed a convoy which was sighted off The Hague. A' new aerodrome at Ijmuiden was also attacked. At Zeebrugge, where a concentration of barge® was bombed, two Messerschmitt 109’s engaged our aircraft, but both made off after an exchange of fire. PERFECT CONDITIONS VERY LITTLE OPPWITItR (British Official Wireless.) RtIGBY, September 18. (Received September 19, at 1,30 p m.), R.A.F. pilots who took part in th# attack on the invasion ports on Tucsday night describe the flying condition* as perfect. There was bright moonlight with no cloud over the enemy's coastline. The British pilots could clearly make out docks and railways along the quaysides. One British— pilot said: “ We got hardly any opposition at all. There were a few searchlight’s, but nothing to worry about. It was just like bombing on practice raids. I should say there were dozens of tires burning at Ostend. When we got there it was as light as day. We ran inland, turned round, and ran up on the railway sidings. Our first stick of bombs started seven or eight fires. It looked as though we had hit an ammunition train, for explosions broke out—all sorts of colours," white, red, and yellow —then as we turned to make a second run up there %vas a terrific upheaval. Stuff came up like a gigantic mush-, room, thin at the bottom and spreading right out at the top. We were flying at 5,000 ft and the force of the explosion threw ns up about 50ft.”-