DAYLIGHT RAIDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 May 1940, Page 6

DAYLIGHT RAIDS

ACHIEVEMENTS OF BRITISH BOMBERS ATTACKS OVER WIDE AREA ON ENEMY COMMUNICATIONS & COLUMNS. HAVOC WROUGHT AT SHORT RANGE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.47 a.m.) RUGBY, May 20. Pontoon and road bridges along the Belgian battlefront and mechanised columns on the road leading to Boulogne were among the many targets successfully bombed in a scries of daylight raids carried out by R.A.F. bombers over a wide area.

In the morning, a long column of supply lorries, located on the main road near Boulogne, was continuously attacked for fifteen minutes by a strong force of bombers. Nearly two hundred bombs were dropped and. having' released their heavier bombs from a height, the raiders, attacking individually, dived from five thousand feet to within ninety feet of the column, to scatter smaller bombs along the line of vehicles.

In the middle of the raid, six enemy fighters of the Messerschmitt 109 type appeared out of the sun. and, selecting two of our bombers, attacked them simultaneously, opening fire at two hundred yards’ range. The British bombers replied vigorously with their rear guns and one Messerschmitt turned over and crashed. Another section of bombers, fighting its way out to sea over French territory was closely pressed by a Messerschmitt 109 which came under the close range fire of one of our bomber s guns. Pieces of the Messerschmitt fell away, and with its engine on fire the enemy fighter broke off the engagement. Bridges over the .River Lys, across which enemy reinforcements are being brought to the Belgian battlefield, were the chief objectives- of an afternoon raid. A main, road bridge at one point .was hit by four heavy calibre bombs and numerous smaller ones, its demolition being confirmed by a following section of bombers. In addition, the northern entrance to the bridge was effectively blocked by houses, which collapsed across the roadway after direct hits. Two pontoon bridges which the enemy had thrown across the river to replace main bridges previously demolished were also heavily bombed. One was wrecked and the other was badly damaged and its approach blocked by fallen buildings and bomb craters.

A large body of troops massing in a town in the German rear of the battlefield was heavily bombed in the late afternoon.