SURPRISE ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 July 1940, Page 5

SURPRISE ATTACKS

BRILLIANT WORK OF BRITISH BOMBERS ENEMY BASES AND SHIPS DAMAGED. MANY PARTS OF GERMANY SUFFER. • (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.23 a.m.) RUGBY, July 8. An Air Ministry communique states: “Last Sunday night bombers of the R.A.F. attacked targets of military importance at Ludwigshaven and Frankfurt. “Sidings and goods yards at Osnabruck, Soest, Hamm, Urhorthafen and' Gremsburg were bombed. "Hits were registered on naval barracks at Wilhelmshaven and on the Cana! basin at Duisbergrunrort. “German aerodromes at Heide, Westerland and Hornum, in a North Frisian island and Wesel, north of the Ruhr, were attacked, also airports at Rotterdam and Brussels. “Two of our aircraft are missing. “Aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked an enemy supply vessel in Boulogne harbour last night. Other aircraft attacked Port Ostend early this morning. A large enemy supply ship was hit and the canal lock gates were damaged. Several fires were started among naval storehouses in' the dock area. All our aircraft returned safely. “The Leopold Basin at Ostend, named after the King of the Belgians, now used as a base for enemy supply ships, was bombed today in a surprise attack by Blenheims of the Coastal Command. The attack lasted only four minutes, but great damage was done to the dock gates. A direct hit was made on q large German supply ship at anchor and many fires were started. The bombers were flying out to sea again almost before the Nazi defence got into action. Another German supply ship in the harbour of Willemsoord, on the Dutch coast, was bombed by Hudson aircraft of the Coastal Command.”