R.A.F. BOMBERS

Evening Star, Issue 23695, 1 October 1940, Page 5

R.A.F. BOMBERS

HEAVY RAIDS ON GERMANY OIL PLANTS AND FACTORIES ATTACKED PNESSUK CONTINUED ON INVASION PORTS (British Official Wireless.) Frew Association —By Telegraph — Copyright RUGBY, September 30. (Received October 1, -at 10 a.m.) ' “ Attacks on oil plants figured among the operations against the enemy carried out by the R.A.F. last night,” states the Air Ministry news service. « There was a heavy attack on the oil refinery and storage plant at Magdeburg. The plant known as Braunkohlen Benrin A.G., situated 200 miles inland from Germany’s western frontier, was subjected to a series of raids which began shortly after 11 p.m. and continued for nearly three hours. Ground haze over the city and the glare of many searchlights hampered the bomber crews in the early stages of the attack, hut later many fires started by incendiaries illuminated the target. Attacking in shallow dives and often from a low level the raiders straddled the oil plant with high explosives, leaving a trail of multi-coloured fires and spasmodic explosions in their wake. The raiders taking part in this attack also bombed a railway at the southern exit of the city and started fires close to a main line junction. “ Meanwhile at Stuttgart, 260 miles away in Western Germany, other forces of heavy bombers launched attacks against a large coal gas plant and the Bosch factory, which produces magnetos, sparking plugs, and other electrical equipment for German services. A stick of heavy calibre bombs. fell across the gasworks and caused 10 separate explosions, accompanied by brilliant white flashes. The'' Bosch works were subjected to a 15 minutes’ bombardment from varying heights, and are believed to have been heavily hit, as a large fire was seen blazing in the area as the bombing ceased. ■ “ The aluminium factory at Bitterfeld, 20 miles north of Leipzig, and rail communications and centres were other targets in Germany successfully attacked during the night. “ Other night raiding forces, maintaining their pressure on possible invasion bases, attacked shipping 1 concentrations and harbours at Ostend, Calais, Boulogne, and Lorient. FOKKER FACTORY VISITED FIRES SEEN TD BREAK OUT ANOTHER FLIGHT TO BRITTANY (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. September 30. (Received October 1, at 11.40 a.m.) Last night’s attacks on rail communication centres of, Germany by the R.A.F. were spread over a wide area. The railways at Ehrang, Mannheim, Soest, and Koblenz were bombed and fires started in goods junctions. At Cologne, Osnabruck, and Hamm, sticks of heavy calibre bombs fell along one side of a goodsyard, causing two separate fires, which quickly merged into one big blaze. The oil plant at Hanover was at-tacked-shortly before 11. A large fire in the target area was still burning 20 minutes after the last aircraft, had left the outskirts of tho city. Explosions, which continued for some time, marked the attack on a factory near Hanover. At Kamen, near Dortmund, another factory was bombed and set on fire. Raiders operating in Holland attacked the great Fokker Aircraft Factory, near Amsterdam. This factory—now commandeered by the German invaders—is situated in the dock area. It was heavily bombed, and fires and explosions were seen to break out among the factory buildings and docks lying to the south. The aerodromes at Gifhorn, Dessau, Evere, Aschersleben, and Schipol were also subjected to night attacks by heavy bombers. At Scbipol. the main airport of Amsterdam, sticks of bombs burst across the illuminated flare Xfrth, and at Aschersleben the lowlying clouds were lit up by the glow of a great fire started on the aerodrome. It is officially announced that two Blenheims of the Coastal Command today engaged and shot down two enemy Aircraft over the North Sea. The R.A.F.’s night bombardment of the potential invasion bases along the Belgian, Dutch, and French coasts included a third attack on the naval base of Lorient, on the coast of Brittany, where heavy damage was caused in the large-scale raids last week. Last night bad visibility hampered the attack, but heavy calibre bombs were seen to straddle the target. At Calais hits’ were scored on many, parts of the docks and dock area in the face of intense opposition from the harbour gun batteries. , Other bomber forces raided the docks at Ostend. Bombs fell across the outer harbour and on the new tidaj harbour, and the docks at Boulogne, where hits were registered in several main shipping basins. Bombs were also dropped on the docks at Flushing. Early on Sunday morning, in at attack on long-range gun positions at Gap Gris Nez, salvos of high-explosive bombs were seen to explode close to the gun emplacements.