DAYLIGHT RAIDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24424, 9 October 1940, Page 7

DAYLIGHT RAIDS

BRITISH BOMBERS ACTIVE ENEMY SHIPPING ATTACKED SEVERAL DIRECT HITS SCORED i P.rji Wireless' (United Press Association) fwy Electric Telegraph—Copyright) RUGBY, Oct. 7, In a series of daylight raids, beginning soon after dawn on Sunday and continuing until late in the afternoon, our bombers attacked coastal objectives and enemy shipping over an area extending from Harlingen in the north to Boulogne in the south-west. Weather conditions were consistently bad, with low cloud and heavy rain restricting visibility. One early morning raider approaching Calais under the cover of clouds attacked concentration barges lying in one of the main basins. Two heavy-calibre bombs aimed from a low level exploded among a group of 50 barges. Another bomb hit a jetty, and a fourth struck a large warehouse beside the Carnot basin. Almost immediately after this attack the bomber was itself engaged by a formation of 12 Messerschmitt 109 fighters. The British rear gunner in the ensuing running fight shot one of the Messerschmitts down in flames and held off the rest of the formation until lire bomber gained cover in a cloud. Aerodrome Bombed Barges and shipping at Boulogne and Ostend were also attacked. One raider crossing over Holland bombed the aerodrome at Diepholz, 30 miles south-west of Bremen. Two highexplosive bomb£ were seen to burst 9

on the tarmac immediately in front of a line of hangars. Other aircraft ranging over the Dutch coast bombed a number of supply ships lying alongside the quay at Horlisten, and barges in the River Maas, and. attacked shipping in the Zuider Zee ports of Stavoren and Enkhuigen, scoring hits on the Est Quay and north of the harbour. Here a number of small ships were hit and fires started. -

Supply ships in the Dutch harbour off the Den Helder terminus of the Great North Holland Canal were attacked in the afternoon in face of heavy anti-aircraft fire. Four bombs struck the harbour works, causing a violent explosion and a cloud of red sparks. One 800-ton ship making towards the harbour was also bombed from a low level in a shallow dive attack. A direct hit was scored on the stern of a ship, which was left enveloped in a cloud of steam and smoke. It had disappeared when the aircraft returned to the scene a few minutes later.