FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21207, 2 September 1940, Page 8

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

DAMAGE TO AERODROMES ATTACKS ON FACTORIES (Official Wireless) (Received Sept. 2, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 1 For the fourth time in the past week Royal Air Force bombers on Saturday night flew to Berlin and attacked important militai’y objectives in the city and environs. The targets, some of which were bombed for the first time, included an aircraft factory and lighting installations. The visibility for the most part was poor. The pilots reported that west of Berlin the whole region for a distance of 70 miles was covered with a bank of low cloud. Now and then a break in the cloud allowed the pilots to catch a glimpse of one of the many lakes about the city and so determine the positions. Soon after 3.30 a.m. large aeroplane works north-west of Berlin were bombed. Below the prevailing cloud a pilot saw flashes of bursting bombs. These were succeeded by a steady glow as though from a fire. About the same time other raiders were attacking lighting installations in the western part of the city, and as sticks of high explosives and incendiaries fell on the target there was a blinding flash, then a fire could be seen 30 miles away. Raiders who failed to locate the Berlin targets because of cloud bombed objectives in other parts of Germany and Holland. A line of bombs fell across a railway junction and many aerodromes were attacked, including Lastrup and Arnhem, where the Tarmac was broken up in several places. Other sections of heavy bombers attacked the Kraftestoff works at Wesseling and Cologne. The first aircraft dropped three sticks across the target, and those following, guided by the fires which resulted, added bombs to spread the flames and caused heavy explosions. A large explosives factory at Leverkusen, near Cologne, was also bombed, but here cloud prevented observation of the result. Direct hits were scored on a neighbouring aerodrome, and afterwards pilots machine-gunned the searchlights.

At Spich the bombing of an ammunition factory resulted in several fires. Another of the objectives attacked was an oil refinery at Magdesburg. Raid on Emden Dock

Meanwhile other bombers were raiding Emden. At intervals throughout the night relays of aircraft dropped their heaviest bombs on the dock shipyard. The first of the machines was over the target area before midnight and the last landed at -the aerodrome just before dawn.

In spite of intense fire and great activity from the searchlights round the target all the aircraft succeeded in bombing the targets, although haze again prevented an entirely accurate observation of the results.

It was clear that considerable damage was done. One pilot among the earliest to attack dropped a flare and by its light saw that even at this early stage four heavy bombs had already hit the docks. Another observed bombs bursting at the entrance to the main harbour and saw a stick explode along the west bank of the main dock two hours before midnight. The enemy’s long-range gun emplacements in the Cap Griz Nez area were surprised. A gliding attack was carried out by a small force of medium bombers.