MAINTAINED BY THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 October 1940, Page 7

MAINTAINED BY THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

On German Bases and Communications SUSTAINED AND SUCCESSFUL BOMBING OF BERLIN TWELVE NAZI PLANES DESTROYED OVER BRITAIN Throughout the hours of darkness on Thursday night, the R.A.F. smashed German aerodromes, shipping, docks and communications, the 8.8. C. reports. Berlin had a raid that lasted for three hours. Owing to clouds over Berlin the British bombers had to come down to a low level, 4,000 feet, to make the attack. Salvoes of bombs were dropped op railway communications which were extensively damaged in previous raids. Half an hour later more bombers came over and started a huge fire which guided later airmen. Then for 75 minutes the British planes crossed and recrossed the centre of the city as they made individual bombing runs under intensive fire from the ground defences. The all-clear signal was not given until four hours after the last British bomber had left. Perhaps the authorities were trying to clean up some of the mess before Berliners came out of their shelters. Other targets bombed included railway communications and goods yards, Channel ports, enemy aeiodrom.es, oil plants, docks, and shipping. One Britisn plane failed to return. Somewhat Increased ENEMY AIR ATTACKS ON BRITAIN German air attacks on Britain yesterday were on a rather bigger scale, carried out mostly by fighters in formations of 20 to 100. They came over the south-east coast at. intervals, making for London and flying at a great height. Most of them were split up, but a few managed to reach the London area and the south-east coast. Most i of the bombs fell on houses, but the number of people killed was small. Twelve Germans planes were destroyed. Eight British machines were lost but the pilots of four are safe. One German bomb scored a direct hit on a tram in a London street, three people being killed. Two other bombs fell in a London square but there were only a few casualties. Italian aircraft are now taking part in the attack on Britain. According to the Germans the Italian distinguished themselves in Thursday night’s raids. On Thursday night, however, there was very little enemy air activity over Britain. It was one of the quietest nights for weeks.