ENEMY PORTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 September 1940, Page 5

ENEMY PORTS

AND INLAND OBJECTIVES BOMBED HEAVILY BY R.A.F. THIRTEEN AIRCRAFT MISSING. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) RUGBY, September 9. Enemy ports, shipping and barge concentrations were heavily attacked by the R.A.F. yesterday and last night, according to an Air Ministry communique, which states: “In the course of routine reconnaissances yesterday our bombers attacked shipping in the ports of Dunkirk and' Boulogne and convoys in the North Sea. Five of our aircraft are missing. Last night, in spite of severe weather conditions over the Continental coastline, strong forces of bombers carried out operations against the enemy and enemy occupied ports, barge concentrations and shipping at Hamburg, Bremen, Emden, Ostend, Calais and Boulogne. Widespread damage was done to oil tanks and ammunition stores and many fires started. Eight of our aircraft did not return.” HAVOC IN CITY HOSPITAL AND MUSEUMS SUFFER. INNER AREA BOMBED. (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, September 9. Raiders last night bombed a hospital: in a London area which was unoccupied, being reserved for raid casualties. Bombs reduced a three-story wing to rubble, and another wing was damaged. A bomb striking a museum caused a fire which burned off the roof of the east wing. Another bomb demolished a house immediately opposite, and a third damaged another house nearby. Another museum in the London area was also damaged. It is authoritatively estimated that at least 150 enemy machines, mostly operating singly, were engaged in last night’s raid. Spitfires are believed to have shot down three Messerschmitts over southeast London in the evening, when big bombers, escorted by fighters, attacked the metropolis and some bombed the inner London area. MORE BOMBING RAIDERS HEAVILY ENGAGED. DETAILS OF RELATIVE LOSSES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.59 a.m.) RUGBY, September 9. The first air raid warning in the London area today sounded at 5.10 p.m. and the all clear signal was given an hour and a quarter later. Some bombs were dropped and enemy raiders, which appeared to be few in number, were heavily engaged by anti-aircraft gunfire and fighters. So far no official information is available regarding the damage done or the numbers of ' enemy aircraft destroyed, but agency reports state that a second warning was sounded at 8.45 p.m. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique issued at 9.15 p.m. slates: “It is now known that during last night three enemy aircraft were shot down by our antiaircraft guns, making a total of elevon enemy aircraft in till destroyed' yesterday. Fuller reports show that in Saturday's actions twenty-eight enemy aircraft in all were destroyed by antiaircraft gunfire and 75 by fighters, making' a total of 103 destroyed that day. "Preliminary reports on this evening's raid show that 26 enemy aircraft were destroyed. 21 by lighters and two by anti-aircraft fire. Thirteen of our fighters are missing, but three of the pilots are safe,”