Nazi War Machine Hammered

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 217, 13 September 1940, Page 8

Nazi War Machine Hammered

RUGBY, Sept. 11. Mr Churchill’s reference in his broadcast to-night to the shelling by the Royal Navy of ship concentrations from the other side of the Channel is expanded in an Admiralty communique issued tonight, which states: “Strong and repeated offensive actions are being taken by our light forces against German shipping movements, ports, and concentrations of shipping. These operations have inflicted losses jpon tire enemy, as well as damage to >ort facilities which would be vital to aim in the event of an attempt to incade England. “Further details cannot be given I without disclosing information which would be useful to the enemy.” The Air Ministry states that besides attacking Potsdam Station, Berlin, the RA F. on Tuesday night bombed (Bremen and Wilhelmshaven, vast concentrations of barges in docks and harbours on the French, Belgian, and : Dutch coasts, and also gun emplacements at Cap Gris Nez, railway targets at Duisberg and Brussels, and aerodromes in Germany and Germanoccupied territory. Four British planes have not returned. Relentless Attack. The great onslaught which the R.A.F. has been making against the German war machine was continued on Tuesday night with relentless precision and energy. Some of the heaviest attacks were made against barge concentrations, shipping, and docks in the French Channel ports. The Calais dock bore the brunt of the attack. Barges, harbour stores, and equipment stores were bombed. Salvoes and sticks of bombs were dropped over the Carnot basin and observed to burst among many barges which were packed together, and a large part of the dock area was left in James, one fire alone enveloping at least 200 yards of waterfront. Guns were silenced and searchlights extinguished around the harbour.

One pilot spent an hour over his objective dodging shells and weaving his way in and out of the clouds. Biding his time, the bomb-aimer let go his bombs, and sticks were laid accurately across the docks. A clear gap in the clouds enabled another crew to drop bombs right along barges massed along the Carnot basin. As high-explosives poured into the packed vessels which lined the whole side of the basin and extended threequarters of the way across it, chunks of debris were flung into the air. Fires again broke out, and explosions were going on as the aircraft left. The observer* of one bomber saw a large merchant ship about a mile north of the channel leading to the docks suddenly burst into flames and burn fiercely. The attack on Calais lasted three hours. Big Attack on Ostend. Ostend harbour was bombed from 9 p.m. on Tuesday until nearly 5 a.m. to-day. Repeatedly, sticks of heavy bombs straddled barges lying in the port and ships were directly hit by a strong section of raiders which attacked the harbour just before midnight, and, betw-een three and four o’clock this morning, heavy explosions in the dock area followed attacks by another section of bombers. Enemy ships in Boulogne harbour also were bombed. Other squadrons few farther north to raid Flushing. (Many bombs were seen to fall on docks, •merchant vessels, and E-boats (torpedo- , boats). Dieppe also was attacked, and, after ’bomb explosions, two out of six E-boats vanished and are believed to have sunk. Meanwhile, the enemy gun emplacements on Cap Gris Nez were attacked i again.