REPRISAL IN GERMANY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 260, 1 October 1940, Page 7

REPRISAL IN GERMANY

MORE HEAVY ATTACKS.

IMPORTANT PLANTS HIT

(United Press Association—Copyright.)

(British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10 a.m.) RUGBY Sept, 30. 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. A plant known as Braukohlen Benzin 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. A ground haze over the city and the glare of many searchlights hampered the bomber crews in the early stages of the attack, but 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 the railway at the southern exit of the city and started fires close to the main line junction. Meanwhile at Stuttgart, 260 miles away in Western . Germany, .other forces of heavy bombers were launching attacks against the large coal gas plant and the Bosch factory which produces magnetoes, sparking plugs, and other electrical equipment for the German services. A stick of heavy calibre bombs which fell across the gasworks caused ten separate explosions, accompanied by brilliant white flashes. The Bosch works were subjected to a 15 minutes’ bombardment from varying heights and ms also 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 communication centres were other targets in Germany successfully attacked during the night. Other night raiding forces, maintaining their pressure on possible invasion bases, attacked shipping concentrations and the harbours at Ostend, Flushing, Calais, Boulogne, and Lorierit. The Bremen radio has announced that several British planes raided t'he thickly populated residential quarters of Cologne. Incendiary and explosive bombs caused 16 casualties with lour deaths.