RAIN OF BOMBS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 243, 11 September 1940, Page 7

RAIN OF BOMBS

VITAL GERMAN CENTRES.

RETALIATION BY R.A.F

(United Press Association—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 11.a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 10. Our bombers last night continued their attacks on military objectives in Germany and enemyoccupied Holland, Belgium and France, states an Air Ministry communique.

Among the targets attacked were the lighting installations in Berlin, the shipyards at Bremen and Hamburg, docks at Kiel, Wilhelmshaven, and Wfimar, goods yards at Krefcld and Brussels, factories at Essen and Barnstort, rail communications, and several enemy aerodromes. Other bomber forces attacked shipping and barge concentrations in Ostend, Calais and Boulogne, and gun emplacements at Cape Gris Nez. Three of our aircraft did not return. The night’s heaviest attack was directed against the naval dockyards at Hamburg, where tons of highexplosives and many incendiary 'bombs were dropped in the course of half an hour of almost continuous bombardment; the docks already severely damaged' in the previous night’s raid were repeatedly straddled by sticks of heavy calibre bombs. The fires which broke out in the target area were still visible long after the raiders had left. NAVAL STATION BOMBED. At Bremen more great fires were started as repeated hits were registered on the docks, and shipbuilding yards. Direct bits were also scored on < the naval station at Wilhelmshaven, where heavy bombs were clearly seen to burst on one end of the naval barracks. Another line of bombs which overshot the main dockyards hurst across a minesweeper depot and straddled the pontoon harbour.

The objective in Berlin was the important Newkolu gasworks in the suburbs. Bombs were seen to burst on this target and heavy explosions occurred in the course of the attack which began about midnight and was carried out in the face of intense antiaircraft fire.

A later raid in the early hours of the morning on the goods yards at Brussels lasted over an hour. Bombs fell across the south end of the yard, causing an immediate outbreak of fire, followed ten minutes later by a terrific explosion. A few minutes later another direct hit was scored on the target, causing a second violent explosion and a fierce outbreak of fire, visible 40 miles away, which was still burning strongly when the last raider left. Other nisflif raiding forces attacked the docks at, Wiemar, a blast furnace and railway sidings at Essen, and the aerodromes at Hoya, Cello, Cuxliaven and Schipol. SHIPPING HIT. The important railway junctions at Hanover, Celle, Barnstorf, and Krefeld were bombed. Two separate groups of fires at Celle caused a series of heavy explosions. • Concentrations of shipping at Ostend were heavily attacked for the third successive night. Fires and explosions were seen in all parts of the harbour, and one raider which arrived soon alter the commencement of the attack reported the flames had been visible for many miles before the Belgian coast was reached. Other bomber forces raided Boulogne harbour where several large explosions were seen in the dock area. At Calais barges in the harbour were bombed for over an hour by aircraft which attacked in a series of steep apd shallow dives. RAIDS ON BERLIN. The R.A.F. against raided Berlin, a message from which states that the alarm lasted 45 minutes from midnight, states a Press Association report. Bombs damaged a number of apartment houses in the northern districts, but the raiders did not reach 1 the- centre of the city. There was heavy antiaircraft fire throughout the city. British bombers also attacked VVestcrmuende, at the mouth of the River Weser. Anti-aircraft fire drove back some planes before they reached their objectives, and others were so dazzled by searchlights that they dropped their bombs on open country. A Berlin communique states: “British planes again dropped bombs in Northern Germany iar from military objectives. Isolated houses in the neighbourhood of Berlin and other towns were more or less heavily damaged.”