TWO SUCCESSIVE WAVES

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21231, 30 September 1940, Page 7

TWO SUCCESSIVE WAVES

INVASION PORTS BOMBED BUILDINGS WRECKED (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 29 British aircraft carried out a heavy attack on invasion ports in enemyoccupied territory last night, states an Air Ministry communique this morning (Sunday). In spite of bad weather, some British bombers reached Berlin. Reports from Berlin state that British bombers came over in two successive waves, the first of which lasted for three hours. Terrific explosions shook the Kent coast again last night when the Royal Air Force delivered what is believed to have been the most violent of all its attacks on the German invasion ports. Vivid orange and red flashes and sheets of flame lit up the sky as hundreds of bombs burst in an unbroken line along the French and Belgian coast. The flashes were bigger than any yet seen from England, indicating that more powerful bombs were being used. Houses on the Kent coast quivered continually for hours. The Air Ministry states: “We wrecked dock buildings and set fire to warehouses and a timber yard during an intense bombardment of Lorient, where bombs caused fires visible for 70 miles. The raid lasted for three and a-half hours, and high explosive and incendiary bombs fell at the rate of five a minute for over an hour. Other night raiders bombed railway yards at Mannheim and Hamm, and a munitions factory at Dusserdorf. Power Stations Bombed An Air Ministry communique stated: Operations were carried out last night by bomber forces of the Royal Air Force over Germany and occupied channel ports. The weather conditions generally in North Germany were unfavourable but a number of aircraft reached their objectives. The Berlin and district electric power stations and anti-aircraft gun positions were bombed. Elsewhere, in North Germany the targets included important railway centres and aerodromes. The naval base at Wilhelmshaven was strongly attacked, and fires and explosions were caused. Munitions works at Hanau, near Frankfurt, suffered severe damage. Along the Channel coast Le Havre, Fecamp, Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk were heavily bombed, as well as the last line of big gun emplacements near Cap Gris Nez. The enemy base at Lorient was again attacked. Two aircraft are missing from these operations.