RAIDS ON ITALY

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21196, 20 August 1940, Page 6

RAIDS ON ITALY

DAMAGE TO FACTORIES SALVOES OF BOMBS PLANTS WRECKED (Official Wireless) August 20. 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Aug. 19 For the third time within a week Royal Air Force heavy bombers last night attacked the Caproni aircraft factory at Milan and the Fiat aircraft engine and motor works at Turin. Other squadrons of the Royal Air Force operating 150 miles further north, severely damaged aluminium works at Rheinfelden, on the Ger-man-Swiss frontier, ten miles east of Basle. A factory near the Rhine, to reach which the aircraft had to fly 600 miles, was attacked for an hour and a-half. One of the first salvoes of heavy bombs, which was dropped just before midnight, caused a high chim-ney-stack to fall. Then, as more bombs found thenmark, there followed a steadily spreading fire. Next the hydro-electric plant, housing, turbines and generators were hit, and about midnight more high explosives and canisters and incendiary bombs caused fires, which spread rapidly. The roofs of buildings were blown off and a column of white smoke rose. From 12.20 a.m. until nearly 1 a.m. another section of raiders, descending at times to 1500 feet, saw the wrecked plant illuminated by eerie green flames. There was an accompaniment of explosions as further heavy bombs found their targets, including a direct hit on a converter plant. Whole Area Ablaze The whole area appeared by now to be ablaze, and from twenty miles away the crews could see the fires as they flew homeward. Electro-chemical works at Waldshut, in the same region, were also attacked and set on fire. Here some anti-aircraft defence was encountered, one of the bombers being hit by shellfire. Other aircraft bombed the aerodrome at Frieburg, north of Basle. It was considered that in this attack an ammunition clump exploded, for observers saw a series of brilliant white flashes continuing for some time after the bombs had fallen. » The enemy-occupied aerodrome at Mulhouse, in Alsace, was also attacked and hits were scored on the landing ground and on the large buildings. Harrassing attacks on the Italian aircraft industry were again successful. One pilot, after identifying the Caproni works at Milan, bombed them successfully from heights of between 2000 and 4000 feet. Soon after this attack an Italian biplane fighter attempted to intercept but the rear gunner of the British bomber fired a burst, which caused the enemy to break off the action. The fighter was obviously in distress and is believed to have been destroyed.