MADE BY BRITISH AIRCRAFT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 August 1940, Page 5

MADE BY BRITISH AIRCRAFT

Selected Objectives Heavily Bombed NUMBER OF GREAT FIRES STARTED ALL R.A.F. MACHINES RETURN SAFELY A DAVENTRY BROADCAST REPORTS A HEAVY AND SUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON BERLIN MADE BY BRITISH BOMBING PLANES ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. An Air Ministry communique states that on Wednesday night the R.A.F. made extensive raids on military objectives in Germany, Holland and occupied France. Several important targets in the Berlin area were heavily bombed. Elsewhere, aeroplane factories, oil plants and enemy aerodromes were attacked.

A large vessel lying in a canal 25 miles west of Berlin received a direct hit and exploded. All the British planes returned, but two made forced landings. The crews are safe. The planes dropped a large number of high explosive and incendiary bombs on a series of carefullyselected military objectives vital to the war effort. A special attack was made on one objective only four miles from the centre of Berlin.

The captain of one of the British planes said they went straight to Berlin and straight back. The captain of another said he attacked a power station at midnight. The target then was well on fire and when they left four more fires were burning. Some of the planes cruised round over Berlin for about half an hour. Many of the bombers were over the city at the same time and were able to watch what others were doing. Another captain said that after an attack had been made he saw a fire from 50 miles away when he was on the return journey. A German plane was shot down by its own defences. RATHER FEEBLE GERMAN EFFORT Agency reports state that 200 German aircraft came over the south-east coast yesterday afternoon, flying at an immense height and steering towards London. British fighters and antiaircraft fire caused the raiders to turn round and return at high speed the way they came, without dropping any bombs.