UNCEASING ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 July 1941, Page 5

UNCEASING ATTACKS

MADE BY ROYAL AIR FORCE On Enemy Targets on Land and at Sea NUMBER OF SHIPS SUNK OR SET ON FIRE HEAVY DAY AND NIGHT RAIDS ON FACTORIES AND BASES LONDON, July 7. Seven enemy fighters were shot down over Northern France today, when a heavy raid was made on an aircraft factory, a power station and a chemical station. The targets were hit by powerful high-explosive bombs and many incendiary bombs. Three British fighters were lost, but the pilots of two were rescued from the sea. Bombers attacked an enemy convoy of eight supply vessels being escorted by an anti-aircraft ship off the Dutch coast. The enemy vessels ranged in size from 2,000 to 5,000 tons. Six of them were left either sinking or thoroughly alight. Another enemy convoy was attacked off Calais. One ship of about 2,000 tons and an escorting E boat were sunk. Three machines of the Bomber Command and one of the Coastal Command are missing. These daylight attacks followed heavy night raids on Germany and German-occupied territory, in which a large number of bombers took part. The objectives included targets in Munster and Dortmund in Westphalia and a very heavy attack was made on the docks at Brest, where a 10,000-ton ship in the harbour was hit. Dusseldorff, Cologne, Emden and Rotterdam were also raided. Six British planes are missing.