EXTENSIVE OPERATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 23692, 27 September 1940, Page 7

EXTENSIVE OPERATIONS

LARGE-SCALE ATTACK ON KIEL (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 26. (Received September 27, at 10.50 a.m.) “ All our aircraft returned safely from extensive bombing operations over Germany and the Channel ports last night, states an Air Ministry communique. “ In Berlin aircraft of the Bomber Command attacked power stations, railway communications, and the Tempelhof aerodrome. At Kiel the docks were bombed. The goods yards at Osnabruck, Ehrang, Hamm, Mannheim, and Hanover were also damaged. Shipping, barges, quayside stores at Antwerp, Flushing, Ostend, Dunkirk, Calais, and Boulogne were again attacked. “ Aircraft of the Coastal Command shot down an enemy bomber into the sea yesterday afternoon. “ Last night forces of the Coastal Command bombed oil tanks at Brest. Tanks were set on fire and shipping in the harbour also severely damaged.” The strongly-dlefended naval dockyard at Kiel, in which the Scharnhorst is lying, was attacked last night by a force of heavy bombers. Attacks by individual aircraft were made at intervals' over a period of two hours, and many direct hits were scored on the tar ;ets. Sticks of heavy calibre bombs fell across the northern dockyard and one shipbuilding yard, and the brilliant yellow flash of one big explosion was seen very close to the Scharnhorst. * At Ehrang bomb bursts were seen in the centre of the railway yards, and one salvo was followed! five minutes later by a violent explosion. Another great explosion with a vivid blue flash is believed to have marked a direct hit on an electrical power house.

Flames and heavy explosions in the goods yard signalled the usual nightly bombardment of Hamm, and several big fires were started in the yard at Mannheim. In an attack on Osnabruck many direct hits were scored on tracks and goods sidings, and by the light of fires started in a yard, the crew of one of our bombers saw flying debris from a tall chimney, which collapsed across the track.

Over Germany bombs were also dropped on Lubeck, on railway yards near Hanover, and on the main line track at Lunen.

The canal was straddled and the dock gates hit in an attack on the river port of Haltern, south-west of Munster and Rendeburg. To the west of Kiel a factory was bombed and set on fire. The Varel aerodrome and the Warnemunde seaplane base were also attacked. In Belgium our. heavy and medium bomber forces raided the docks at Antwerp, and a large power station at Brussels. Bombs were seen in both cases to explode within the target area. Shipping concentrations and harbour installations at .Flushing, Dunkirk, Ostend, Calais and'Boulogne were again heavily bombed, raids starting in the early hours of Thursday morning, continuing until shortly before dawn. Polish crews, operating with the R.A.F., took part in attacks on Ostend, where hits were scored on the main wet docks and quayside basins, in which there were a number of ships of the line. The attacks were pressed home from low levels in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire and the glare of many searchlights. In addition to the damage caused by high explosive bombs, heavy fires within the docks w’ere started by incendiary bombs. Fires and heavy explosions were also reported in Calais by medium, bomber crews, who delivered a concentrated attack, lasting half an hour, on the lock and basins. At Boulogne,, which was raided at intervals for three and a-ha!f hours, many violent explosions were caused. One, described as terrific by an observer, momentarily lit up the whole town. Great fires were started around eight main basins. Several of these, w r hose flames leapt 200 ft into the air, could be seen by crews of aircraft approaching the target from 50 miles out to sea. HEAVY RAIDS ON CHANNEL PORTS LONDON, September 26. (Received September 27, at 9.7 a.m.) The R.A.F. again bombarded the French Channel ports for some hours. Early to-night the entire coast between Dunkirk and Boulogne appeared to be on fire, lighting up the country almost like daylight. Terrific explosions in the neighbourhood of Calais and Cap Gris Nez shook Kent. They were the heaviest of all the raids on the French coast. DOVER AREA SHELLED R.A.F. BOMBS GUN EMPLACEMENTS ! (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 26. (Received September 27, at 1.15 p.m.) Dover observers report to-night that the R.A.F. was again conducting a vigorous bombardment of Germanoccupied Channel ports. Large fires are burning all along the French coast. Observers believe that German gun emplacements on Cap Gris Nez are receiving particular attention. These guns shelled the Dover area for one hour this afternoon. Two unoccupied cottages were destroyed. Two casualties resulted from a shell burst. EMPIRE AIR SCHEME FIRST AUSTRALIANS REACH CANADA MELBOURNE, September 27. (Received September 27, at noon.) The Minister of Air (Mr Fadden) announced that the first hatch of Australian air crew trainees to go abroad for immediate and advanced training under the Empire air scheme had reached Canada,