U-BOAT BASE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1940, Page 5

U-BOAT BASE

BRITISH BOMBS RAINED ON LORIENT DAY & NIGHT FOR THREE DAYS. ATTACKS FROM NORWAY TO BAY OF BISCAY. (By Telegraph—Pi-ess Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 29. In the last few days British aircraft have resumed their attacks against enemy-occu-pied bases from Norway to the Bay of Biscay. The German submarine base at Lorient was the main objective of the R.A.F. /last /night. Behind this brief announcement lies a story of one-of the most concentrated attacks yet delivered against an enemy target. Day and night for the past three days highexplosive and incendiary bombs have been rained down on this vital base from which German submarines go out to attack British shipping.

Last night other targets along the enemy-occupied coast were also attacked.

On Friday night the R.A.F. Bomber Command's chief objectives were the submarine base at Lorient and the aerodrome at Merignac, near Bordeaux, from which Germany sends some of her heaviest bombers over the ocean trade routes.

The communique detailing Friday night’s raids states: "The R.A.F. attacked targets in the docks at Cherbourg and Lorient and an aerodrome at Bordeaux. At Lorient stores, barracks, dry docks and a power station were bombed, and at Cherbourg the docks were straddled. At Bordeaux bad weather made in difficult to find the target, but many bombs were seen to burst among the hangars. St. Inglevert aerodrome and the shipbuilding yards at St. Nazaire were also bombed. Our programme of minelaying in enemy -waters was continued. In all these operations two of our aircraft are missing.”

The Air Ministry also announces that two attacks were made on Saturday on Lorient by bombers of the Coastal Command. Hits were observed, and all the planes returned safely. Skua aircraft on Friday without loss attacked enemy shipping and harbour works in the Haugesund area, north of Stavanger, Norway, states an Admiralty communique. One enemy supply ship of 4000 tons, which was lying alongside a jetty, was hit and set on fire, and hits were also scored jetties and warehouses. One of the enemy’s anti-aircraft guns was silenced by machine-gun fire. A New Zealander navigated the Skua which set fire to the supply ship at Haugesund.

Among targets attacked by the R.A.F., the 8.8. C. states, were the enemy oil depots at Rotterdam and Antwerp and the ports of Boulogne and Cherbourg. Two British planes are missing from Saturday night’s raids. GREATEST TO DATE ■—- i R.A.F. RAIDS ON ENEMY CHANNEL PORTS. BASES FOR SUBMARINE & AIR ATTACKS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, December 29. The Press gives prominence to the fact that observers on the Channel coast last night were able clearly to see the progress of the relentless R.A.F. bombing (attacks on the French invasion ports, described as “the greatest of all raids” on these targets. • Attacks were also delivered on enemy coastal positions in the Low Countries. A.t the same time, the Press emphasises the importance of the unremitting attacks on the Lorient submarine base, which is the chief German port for Atlantic raiding. Again last night, Lorient was bombed after two raids during the day and heavy attacks on Friday night. The repeated bombing last week of the Merignac aerodrome, . near Bordeaux, from which the Nazis send some of the heaviest bombers against British ocean sea routes, as well as the attacks on Lorient, have produced expressions of satisfaction that the “hornets” which try to stop British shipping are being continuously harassed in their nests.