DAYLIGHT ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 September 1941, Page 5

DAYLIGHT ATTACK

ON BIG CHEMICAL WORKS IN FLANDERS BRITISH BOMBS START GREAT FIRES KARLSRUHE AND LE HAVRE BLASTED AT NIGHT. ENEMY PLANE SHOT DOWN IN BRITAIN. LONDON, September 17. Two squadrons of Blenheim bombers, escorted by strong formations of fighters, made a heavy attack this afternoon on a big chemical plant close to the old battlefield of Loos. Six enemy planes wore destroyed. One British bomber and seven fighters were lost, but Hie pilot of one of Hie pianos was picked rip in the Channel. During Hie rescue work, one enemy fighter was shot down, by air patrols. The attack on the plant was made by successive waves of planes. Continual explosions were observed over the whole works and flames leaped up from a violent fire in one of the big containers. Many fires were burning well when the planes left. Targets in Germany and in occupied territory were raided last night without the loss of a single bomber. Karlsruhe was the principal objective. The docks at Le Havre were bombed for the second night in succession. One enemy bomber was shot down last night in small-scale raids on Britain.

DEATHS & DAMAGE SOME SPECIFIC DETAILS FROM GERMANY. LONDON, September 16. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Lisbon correspondent says persons arriving from Germany reveal the following results of R.A.F. bombings: — Six hundred people were killed in a raid on Hanover on February 11-12. On the night of July 19 the British plastered Hanover from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.. resulting in a paper factory being destroyed in a fire which lasted a week. The Hanover anti-aircraft headquarters were destroyed by an aerial torpedo. Eighty people were killed when a train was hit near Hanover.

BOMBER GETS HOME WITH ALL MEMBERS OF CREW WOUNDED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 16. How the parting shots of a damaged Heinkel wounded the crew of a British Blenheim bomber was told by the Air Ministry. The Blenheim, on patrol off the Norwegian coast, had attacked the Heinkel. getting in a heavy burst. The Nazi airmen made for the clouds, with only one gun firing, but six of the bullets entered the Blenheim, wounding all three members of the crew. The hero of the event was the wounded gunner, who reached over the unconscious observer and endeavoured to send signals to the base, persisting in his attempts till he collapsed. The Blenheim was found by searching aircraft, and guided to a base in the Shetlands, where the crew found refuge in hospital.