FIERCE FIRES

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21214, 10 September 1940, Page 5

FIERCE FIRES

BOMBS AND EXPLOSIONS DAMAGE ON CONTINENT ATTACKS BY BRITISH (Omcial Wireless) (Received Sept. 10, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 9 The Royal Air Force bombers which made a concentrated attack on Hamburg last night were over docks and shipyards in relays for over three hours. Methodically pin-pointing their targets, they released salvo after salvo of heavy bombs and hundreds of incendiary bombs. Repeatedly sticks of heavy bombs were seen to crash across the docks and port installations. Many sticks of high explosives straddled the Blohm and Voss yards, and fires broke out in many parts of the wide target area. Although some died down again others caught on and burned fiercely. The crew of one aircraft saw the wharves and railway station on the north bank of the Elbe burning, another fire at Hanshafen, and the glow of a third down stream near Altona. One of the early raiders who dropped a stick across the docks saw two fires begin about 500 yards apart on the north bank close to the mouth of the Elbe tunnel. By 11 p.m. low cloud had formed, and a pilot arriving then said: “We could see little owing to the clouds, haze, darkness and the heavy antiaircraft fire, but we did see that our bombs had straddled the docks.” Bombs could be seen bursting among the dockside buildings while a fierce anti-aircraft barrage continued. More fires broke out and they were burning fiercely as the bombers left. The glare in the sky over the docks could be seen from sixty miles away by the raiders on the homeward journey. German Accusations The German radio, describing the Royal Air Force raid on Hamburg, says between 60 and 70 bombs fell, destroying 30 dwelling-houses. No military objectives were hit. The British also bombed residential districts in Kiel and Lueneberg. “The British Air Force is too weak and cowardly to meet the Germans in open battle,” it said, “and restricts itself to defence and night attacks against Germany.”