BRITISH BOMBERS AT WORK OVER GERMANY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 November 1940, Page 5

BRITISH BOMBERS AT WORK OVER GERMANY

Devastation at Gelsenkirchen EXTENDED ATTACKS ON COMMUNICATIONS AND FACTORIES LATEST ENEMY RAIDS ON BRITAIN ON MINOR SCALE The Air Ministry News Service states that the main target in the R.A.F. attack on Germany on Sunday night was the big oil refinery plant at Gelsenkirchen, where many explosive and a thousand incendiary bombs were dropped. The synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen was designed to produce 300,000 gallons of aviation petrol per year from coal. Many fires were started, one spreading over an area of half a mile. Later more bombers arrived and continued to bomb the plant. Other synthetic oil plants were also raided and many fires resulted. Railway junctions, stations, yards, aerodromes, and a number of other industrial targets were attacked. All the ' British machines returned safely. The Air Ministry describes German air activity over Britain yesterday as being of a minor character. Bombs were dropped at a few places on the East Coast and on the coast of Sussex and Kent. Houses were damaged, but there were few casualties. Other aircraft approached from the south-east and bombs dropped at two points in the London area damaged some houses, but caused very few casualties. In a raid on a West Coast • town explosives were dropped and two people were killed. Heavy anti-aircraft fire eventually drove the raiders off.