DESTRUCTION IN CHANNEL PORTS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21222, 19 September 1940, Page 7

DESTRUCTION IN CHANNEL PORTS

INTERRUPTION TO NAZI INVASION PLANS EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES RELENTLESS RAIDS (Official Wireless) (Received Sept. 19, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 18 Steady and increasing pressure on German-held Channel ports is being exerted by the Bomber Command of the Royal Air Force which last night sent one of the largest forces of British bombers so far used in the war to continue the relentless “forestalling offensive” which for nearly a fortnight has been going on against the German invasion plan. While the potential invasion of the spearhead—the French, Belgian and Dutch channel coasts, barges, docks, harbours and gun emplacements—was receiving yet another terrific onslaught, other forces of Royal Air Force bombers flew north-east to pound the right wing of the enemy’s line in Hamburg and to add further to the destruction in those strategic railway yards and junctions on Germany’s western frontier which already have taken so much punishment. At Calais a fire about a quarter of a mile long was left raging on the west side of the Basin Carnot, and a medley of lesser fires broke out near the south-west corner of another basin and down the railway lines on the east of the Basin Carnot. Later a salvo of bombs on the east side of the Basin Carnot caused an immediate explosion followed by about sixty others. The tidal lock was straddled and heavily hit, and a line of bombs left a track of flames between the canal and the south-east corner of the Basin Carnot. About ten o’clock there was a heavy explosion on the dockside and bombs were seen bursting about the lock gates. The sides of the Basin de Louest were also hit. Big gun emplacements in the region of Floringzelles, Harinzelles and Franzelles, near Cap Gris Nez, were definitely identified by raiders in brilliant moonlight and heavily attacked. Many of the pilots saw bombs exploding well within the target area. Large numbers of fires were also started at Dunkirk, at least six docks being hit. STOCKHOLM, Sept. 18 The Stockholm newspaper Allehandas’ Berlin correspondent says that the German plan for the invasion of Britain has been temporarily postponed in view of the efficiency of the anti-aircraft defences and the Royal Air Force fighters, but the systematic destruction of Britain’s southeast coast is continuing, especially the bombing of ports and airfields.

Tremendous Attack on Boulogne Boulogne had another tremendous attack and one sorties just after midnight was particularly successful. Attacking through broken clouds the aircraft released a quantity of bombs, which fell on barges and other ships in the harbour. The flames blazing up from the burning barges and warehouse showed twenty miles out to sea about three o’clock this morning. Zeebrugge was fiercely attacked. Sticks of high explosives fell on the dock basin and across the harbour entrance, along the entrance to the Channel, over the inner harbour, on the north basin, across the famous mole, and on a group of five cargo boats. At Ostend the outer and inner hr bours, the main docks and the south side of the Basin de Chouage were hit, and a group of about thirty barges was bombed. Another wave of attackers hit the east end of the main docks, the Basin de Chasse, the timber wharves, the mole, the north lock gates, and the railway station. Barge Concentrations Hit A big barge concentration in the harbour of Terneuzen, south-east of Flushing, was spotted, and one of the raiders, having lurked in the clouds for nearly an hour awaiting the right moment, hurtled down on them in dive attacks. His bombs fell right across the barges. There was a series of explosions, then spreading flames, and as he climbed to 10,000 feet the last tremendous explosion was heard. Other shallow dive attacks resulted in hits along the sides of the entrance to the channel and among barges moored to the banks of the Ghent Canal. The crackle of minor explosions followed when barges crowded together at the canal junction near the locks were hit by other sticks of heavy bombs and incendiaries. The Antwerp docks again took heavy punishment. Incendiary bombs started great fires on the quays, while shipping lying in the Scheldt and in the riverside dock were hit repeatedly. Bombs Dropped—Guns Thundered Flying suddenly out of the clouds bomber after bomber dropped its salvoes on the port and ships, and then disappeared again into the clouds while guns thundered below. One bomber scored six direct hits on ships moored at a town quay. Over Flushing a bomb-aimer who dropped a stick of high explosives could not see the bursts, but remarked significantly that after the attack the barge concentration was seen to have opened up and altered its shape. Here, too, the pilots waited in the clouds for some time until the right moment arrived, and then made dive attacks, straddling ships and docks with bombs. One pilot bombed a string of four ships off the coast as well as barges in the outer harbour. Fires were seen in the docks at Hamburg after they had been bombed early today. Other objectives in the night’s operations included railway yards at Krefeld, Hamm, Osnabruck, Soest and Brussels. Yards at Stockum, north-east of

Cologne, were also attacked, as were aerodromes at Midlum and Wesermunde. Destroyer Sunk It is thought that one of two large ships sunk by Royal Air Force bombers in Cherbourg harbour last night when a number of ships were attacked was a destroyer. The other ship known to have been sunk was estimated to be of 5000 tons. Much other damage was caused in the raid. When it ended there was a ring of flames round the harbour from burning buildings and vessels. Royal Air Force bombers had carried out daylight attacks on Ostend, on shipping at Zeebrugge, on a convoy and barges off the Dutch coast, and on the aerodrome at Ijmniden. From all these operations two bombers have not reported at their base.