HEAVY ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 1940, Page 5

HEAVY ATTACK

.MADE BY BRITISH PLANES OVER GUERNSEY OIL DEPOTS AND WAR FACTORIES DAMAGED. VIOLENT EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 10. An Air Ministry communique states: “Yesterday afternoon R.A.F. aircraft made 50 bombing and machine-gun attacks on the enemy-occupied aerodrome in Guernsey and the seaplane base at Poulmice, near Brest. Damage was done to aircraft, hangars and aerodrome defence posts. “The attack on Guernsey aerodrome was continued in the evening by air craft of the Coastal Command, and hangars and aircraft were repeatedly bombed and several fires started. Other aircraft of the Coastal Command bombed oil tanks at the Dutch seaport of Flushing, and fires broke out after the attack. Munition factories at Ludwigshaven and Cologne were the main objectives of last night’s operations in Germany, and our aircraft crews report that heavy damage was inflicted. Other aircraft attacked railway communications in the Ruhr and aerodromes in Germany, Holland and Belgium. • “From these day and night operations all our aircraft have returned safely. An Avro Anson of the Coastal Command was lost on a routine patrol. In the attack last night on the Guernsey aerodrome, which formerly was used by holiday-makers visiting the island, but is now occupied by Nazi aircraft, the raiders swept down in three waves at short intervals. They dropped heavy and incendiary bombs, which damaged the landing ground and started fires round the hangars. In a few minutes there was white smoke over the ground, while a thin black column of smoke rose 1000 feet. The pilots could see Nazi aircraft parked near the hangars, and they redoubled their attack. When they left the ground was studded with leaping red flames. OIL TANKS LEFT BLAZING.

Other aircraft of the Coastal Command when bombing the Nazi oil tanks at Flushing last night pressed home the attack in the face of searchlights and heavy anti-aircraft fire. Many bombs were aimed at the tanks,, which were clearly visible in the moonlight. One pilot was caught in a searchlight as he took final aim; he dropped the bombs, but as he flew away he saw he had started many fires on the target. The gunner of another aircraft looked back as his machine passed over the target and let go a salvo, and he saw a big explosion and flames as the bombs scored a direct hit. The munition factories at Cologne and Ludwigshaven were both subjected to sustained attacks last night by strong forces of aircraft, which after inflicting heavy damage left the factories in flames. Nearly 15 tons of high-explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on the Cologne factory in the course of a series of raids which began at 10.45 p.m. and continued till shortly after midnight. Within a quarter of an hour of the first attack, the target was ablaze, and the following aircraft had no difficulty in locating the objectives, and adding to the damage. One raider straddled the munitions works with a line of heavy-calibre bombs, and started an intense white fire which ended in a heavy explosion. Another violent explosion was recorded on the western edge of the target, while other crews reported that their bomb bursts were followed by brilliant explosions. An enemy fighter which tried to intercept one of the raiders in the target area was driven off by the bomber's rear gunners. The factory at Ludwigshaven. near Mannerheim, was systematically bombbed for nearly half an hour by relays of aircraft. Hero, too, fires which were started by the first attackers guided the following aircraft to the scene. Salvoes were repeatedly seen to fall across the targets, and at one stage of the attack the factory area was lit up by the blue flames of a heavy explo-. sion. which later led to further outbreaks of fire.