ROYAL AIR FORCE HAMMERING GERMANY AND ITALY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1941, Page 5

ROYAL AIR FORCE HAMMERING GERMANY AND ITALY

Series of Smashing Blows STRUCK AT OIL PLANTS, INVASION BASES AND SHIPPING LIMITED ENEMY ACTIVITY OVER BRITAIN Both by day and by night, a 8.8. C. broadcast states, the Royal Air Force continues to strike at Germany and Italy in a way which shows its growing strength. On Sunday nig tOl installations in Germany and Italy and aerodromes in France were among the principal targets of British bombers. In daylight on Sunday, German-occupied ports in France and Belgium and shipping in French, German and Norwegian waters were ci t/1/ci c c d On Sunday night two of Germany’s great oil refineries were heavily bombed and an attack on an Italian oil installation at a place near Venice was particularly successful. Incendiary bombs dropped by the first of the British aircraft to arrive lit up the whole target so that it was in clear view for those who followed. Some of the buildings were attacked from a very lowlevel. One large refinery building was blown up. The British planes finally attacked almost at ground level, machine-gunning the buildings and tanks and left them blazing. The fires could be seen when the airmen were returning over the Alps. Turin was also attacked for the second night in succession. One British aircraft was lost. On Sunday night the enemy-occupied ports of Brest, Lonent and Le Havre were attacked. Docks and buildings were battered and a number of buildings were left burning furiously. Several aerodromes were also bombed. During daylight, British planes took the offensive on the Belgian and French coasts, machine-gunned German troops in trenches near the beach, attacked ground defences and made low-level machine-gun attacks on two enemy torpedo-boats, a large, two-masted schooner, a drifter and other vessels. The British planes also dealt with enemy fighters sent up to attack them.

Off the Norwegian coast a large supply ship was heavily bombed and left enveloped in smoke and another supply ship was also hit.

In contrast with these daylight activities of the R.A.F. German daylight raids on Britain have come to a halt. On Sunday night London and towns on the Thames Estuary were bombed for 3£ hours. There was some bombing in other parts of England and in a south-west area some people were killed.