MASS OF FLAMES
INVASION PORTS SUCCESS OF RAIDS TOWN ITSELF UNTOUCHED (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 19, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 18 Royal Air Force pilots, who took part in the attack on the invasion ports in Europe on Tuesday night describe the flying conditions as perfect. There was bright moonlight with no cloud over the enemy’s coastline and the British pilots could clearly make out the docks and railways along the quaysides. One British pilot said: “We got hardly any opposition at all. There were a few searchlights but nothing to worry about. It was just like bombing on practice raids. I should say there were dozens of fires burning at Ostend when we got there. It was as light as day so we ran inland and turned round to come up on the railway sidings. Ammunition Train “Our first stick of bombs started seven or eight fires. It looked as though we had hit an ammunition train for explosions broke out—all sorts of colours white, red and yellow. Then, as we turned to make a second run up there was a terrific upheaval. Stuff came up like a gigantic mushroom, thin at the bottom and spreading right out at the top. We were flying at 5000 feet and the force of the explosion threw us up about 50 feet. Crew Very Happy “In some parts of the dock areas one couldn’t see anything. It was just a mass of flames obliterating the ground. Two of my crew live in South London and they had their homes destroyed. You can imagine that they were feeling pretty happy about this show of ours.” After the second attack, when more fires were started, this aircraft circled round for another five to six minutes to have a look. “One thing struck me particularly,” the pilot remarked. “The town itself, barring a few houses on the edge of the railway yard, appeared to be untouched. At any rate there were no fires or any other indication of it having been bombed. The fires were all on the dockside.” Explosions Continue Another officer in the same squadron said: “We had seen explosions from the enemy’s coastline, about five minutes after leaving our owncoast and they continued intermittently most of the way out. We went straight into Ostend from the sea. As we were running up I could see fires and explosions still going on. Having got rid of my first lot of bombs I went out to sea again and then came back and did precisely the same thing all over again.”
EXTENSIVE MINEFIELDS
LAID BY ROYAL AIR FORCE ENEMY SHIPPING LOST NORWAY TO BAY OF BISCAY (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 18 Extensive minefields have been laid by Royal Air Force machines from the Norwegian coast as far west as the Bay of Biscay. These operations have been going on for months. Already thousands of tons of enemy shipping have been lost. In some cases the British have laid mines within a few yards of quays in enemy-occupied ports. The British aircraft have flown hundreds of thousands of miles and have laid over 30 separate minefields with the loss of one one or two machines. The mine-laying aeroplanes also carry bombs to attack enemy shipping should it be sighted. Recently the pilot of one machine bombed a 7000-ton enemy supply ship, on which he scored a direct hit. The same night he bombed and machinegunned an enemy tanker. Given Thorough Training The crews of British aircraft which night after night have been laying minefields in enemy-occupied harbours and territorial waters were given a thorough training in their work before the first mine was laid. They made long reconnaissance flights over the areas and became familiar with the routes and peculiarities of the various coastlines. That minefields have been laid with only one or two losses in aircraft is a high tribute to the skill of the navigators and the tenacity of the pilots. Besides carrying mines aircraft engaged in these expeditions also carry bombs in case enemy supply ships be met. Two nights ago the captain of one aircraft reported on his return that he had bombed a supply ship of about 7000 tons. “My navigator,” he said, “was certain that a direct hit was scored and the vessel sunk.” On the same night an enemy tanker was attacked with two highexplosive bombs and afterwards machine-gunned. The first bomb scored a direct hit on the after part of the ship, while the second missed the vessel by ten yards. Though the actual end was not observed the ship obviously was damaged and forced to stop. Incidents such as these, says an Air Ministry bulletin, help to relieve the monotony of sea crossing, but the crews engaged in these operations know that their main job is mine-laying and nothing is allowed to divert them from it.
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Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21222, 19 September 1940, Page 8
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816MASS OF FLAMES Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21222, 19 September 1940, Page 8
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