INFERNO AT KIEL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 July 1940, Page 5

INFERNO AT KIEL

BRITISH BOMBERS AGAIN ATTACK SCHARNHORST Number of Direct Hits Made TREMENDOUS FIRES ON BATTLE-CRUISER, DOCK, AND IN BUILDINGS BLAZE VISIBLE EIGHTY-FIVE MILES AWAY V-z' Bombers of the R.A.F. and Fleet Air Arm attacked military objectives in Germany and Holland on Monday night, a Daventry broadcast reports, An Air Ministry communique states that R.A.F. bombers penetrated the powerful defences of the Kiel Canal and attacked the battle-cruiser Scharnhorst, which was lying - in a floating dock. The anti-aircraft barrage was so hot that the airmen could not wait to see what damage was done, but one pilot said he scored four direct hits on the warship and the dock.

The communique states that hits were also scored on oil refineries, a blast furnace, aeroplane factories and aerodromes in Germany and on railway traffic near Rotterdam. Further particulars show that the attack on the Scharnhorst began a few minutes after midnight and took the Germans completely by surprise. It was a clear night and the airmen were able to locate the warship without the use of flares. The first airman to attack flew to his objective at a great height, throttled down his engines and glided down. He scored a direct hit on the floating dock and on buildings on the quayside. Just as he was half-way through his glide a searchlight swept the sky, but failed to locate the aircraft and went out again. A terrific explosion on the dock followed and in an instant enemy guns in the defences seemed to go into action. A fire which started on the quayside appeared to be getting bigger and bigger, Other airmen pressed home the attack. One pilot dropped a bomb on the deck and a series of heavy explosions occurred, followed by an extensive outbreak of fire, The crew of the plane could see the fire 85 miles away. Another pilot scored four direct hits. Three of the heaviest bombs burst across the warship and fires started on the battle-cruiser and on the edge of the quay. Further bombs were dropped on naval buildings on each side of the dock. A shed was completely gutted. The last airman said he saw the largest fire he had ever seen. It was so extensive that it covered an area as large as a big aerodrome. Three other fires, which would be considered in themselves quite big’, were small in comparison with the raging inferno which lit up the sky.