SELECTED TARGETS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 September 1940, Page 6

SELECTED TARGETS

ATTACKED BY BRITISH BOMBERS OVER EXTENSIVE ENEMY AREAS. GREAT OIL FIRES NEAR ROTTERDAM. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Dav, 11.40 a.m.) RUGBY, September 1. An Air Ministry communique states: —“Yesterday evening aircraft of the Coastal Command carried out a successful attack on oil tanks at Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam. “Last night our bombers continued their attacks on selected military objectives in Germany and Holland. Among these were lighting installations, an aero-engine factory and an aerodrome at Berlin, oil plants at Cologne and Magdeburg, goods yards at Hamm, Soest, Osnabruck and Hanover, shipping at Emden, various industrial targets and several aerodromes. “Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm, operating with the Coastal Command, attacked oil storage tanks at Rotterdam last night. Two of our aircraft have not returned. “Great fires were caused al Vlaardingen when Swordfish aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm co-operated with Coast-' al Command Blenheims in a further attack on oil tanks. The pilots had to fly through an intense barrage of anti-aircraft fire and many searchlights, one of which was bright purple. They found their targets easily and stocks of bombs from the leading aircraft started fires which lit up the scene for those who came later. “When the last British aircraft was on its way home, the fires were burning fiercely. “The number of enemy aircraft known to have been destroyed up to 7.30 p.m. in today’s raids on Britain is 22. Eleven R.A.F. planes were shot down, but the pilots of five are safe.”