FIERCE ATTACKS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21223, 20 September 1940, Page 5

FIERCE ATTACKS

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS DAAIAGE ON CONTINENT BRITISH FLIERS’ SUCCESS (OlTlcial Wireless) (Received Sept. 20, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 19 Continuing their relentless hammering at the enemy’s Channel ports bomber squadrons of the Royal Air ; Force last night again attacked shipping concentrations, docks and harbour installations from flushing in j the north to Le Havre in the south- i west. Le Havre was singled out for the | night’s heaviest bombardment. At- j tacking in relays, a strong force of heavy bombers kept up an almost continuous assault upon harbours, docks and shipping for close on five hours. 3lany tons of high-explosive bombs and great quantities of incendiary bombs were unloaded | on the target in the face of fierce opposition from the ground defences. One of the earlier raiders attacked from a low level beneath a cloud. As its first stick of heavy bombs fell across the dock there was the white flash of a terrific explosion, followed immediately after by a second smaller explosion, which appeared to come either from a ship moored alongside the Basin de Maree or from a large warehouse on the quayside. A great fire which grew out of the second explosion quickly spread and could be seen still blazing strongly by the bomber’s crew when they were fifty miles away on the return journey. When following aircraft pressed home the attacks sticks of high explosive bombs were seen to burst along the quayside of the Basin de Maree and across the docks at the Quai de Saigon, and to straddle the Basin Ballot from north-east to south-west. Fire amongst Shipping Fire soon broke out and spread among shipping massed in the Maree Basin and in the dry dock near the Quai de Saigon. A stick of bombs dropped across the dock from such a low level that the violence of the explosion shook the crew of the attacking aircraft. By 11 p.m. fires were raging in many parts of the harbour. A large ship alongside the quay was burning strongly, and a 7000-ton ship about a mile north of Honfleur was seen to be ablaze, the flames lighting up a bank of low cloud which hung over the docks and the town. Relays of aircraft continued the bombardment until the early hours of the morning. Again and again the docks and ships along the side were straddled with sticks of high explosive bombs. Other Places Invaded Other invasion bases at Flushing, Boulogne, Ostend, Dunkirk, Calais, Antwerp and Zeebrugge were also heavily attacked during the night, while other sections of the Royal Air Force concentrating on rail communication centres in Germany and bombed goods yards at Mannheim, Krofald, Hamm, Osnabruck, Ehrang dnd Brussels. Aircraft of the Coastal Command j attacked a convoy off Borkum. A direct hit was registered on an enemy destroyer.

Other Coastal Command aircraft attacked the port of Cherbourg, shipping off the Dutch coast, and an aerodrome at Dekooy. Seven Royal Air Force aircraft are missing.

LANDING IN TURKEY

FOUR ITALIAN BOMBERS MEMBERS OF CREW DROWNED (United Tress Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) ANKARA, Sept. 18 Four Italian bombers, returning from a raid on Tel-Aviv, made forced landings on the Turkish coast on September 9. One nose-dived into the sea and was not seen again. Two floated for three hours. Six members of the crews are believed to have been drowned. An Italian Red Cross aeroplane rescued the remainder. The engine of the fourth aeroplane cut out as a result of the failure of the lubricating system, but the machine made a good landing.