“LIKE HELL”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 October 1940, Page 6

“LIKE HELL”

EFFECT OF NAVAL GUNFIRE AT CHERBOURG AIR PILOT’S PICTURESQUE DESCRIPTION. DEMORALISATION OF GROUND DEFENCES. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 11. The naval bombardment at Cherbourg last night was described today by a R.A.F. pilot who was operating in the area at the same time. “It looked like Hell,” he said. “( imagined at first that we must be off our course, but it was Cherbourg all right—about 100 miles away. Clouds drifting across the scene were first silhouetted against the white glow of flares which dropped incessantly over the target area from other air-

craft, illuminating the place. As we neared it, the enemy ground defences I completed the effect with searchlights, flaming onions and light and heavy anti-aircraft fire. We were ovei’ the target area when suddenly the Navy let fly. It was like 500 thunderstorms rolled into one. One of my crew said that even tornadoes he had experienced in the Pacific islands came nowhere near it. The very clouds flamed a bright amber colour and we could see bursts of the first salvo plumb in the docks. Until then, the ground defences had been blazing away at us, but this sudden blast from the sea foxed them absolutely They didn’t know whether it was Christmas or Easter. The searchlights went quite drunk, waving aimlessly about the sky. The guns continued firing, but goodness knows what at. There was complete chaos below.