R.A.F. Firebombs German Industrial City of Aachen

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Globalization41
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R.A.F. Firebombs German Industrial City of Aachen

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Post by Globalization41 » 20 Mar 2004, 08:57

London, Special Cable to The New York
Times,
By David Anderson, Friday, July 11,
1941:
[Late Thursday U.S. time] Britain's own
"Blitz" now being carried out by the Royal Air
Force yesterday embraced the German
industrial city of Aachen,
which was seared by
British bombers before dawn, and Nazi
shipping at the Channel ports of Cherbourg and
Havre during the day, when, the Air Ministry
said, six vessels totaling 20,000 tons were
destroyed. ... Last night raiding British
bombers struck in the Rhineland again,
officials said today. ... Aachen, an inviting
target
with its wealth of production plants and
railroad lines located near the Netherland-
Belgian-German border,
is said to have
experienced a "conflagration." ... The town,
bathed in moonlight, became an inferno in less
than an hour
while squadrons of British planes
dived through a wall of anti-aircraft fire and
past Nazi night fighters to drop clusters of
flares, fire bombs, and then heavy loads of
high explosives.
... Parallel streaks of flame
broke out and smoke rolled across the face of
the darkened town,
making observation
difficult, the R.A.F. pilots related. ... Other
British bomber forces attacked the German
cities of Bielefeld and Muenster and others
again bombed the docks at Ostend.
Communications at Osnabrueck were struck at
by another group of British planes in what was
called a "heavy" raid. ... Two German raiders
were brought down in Britain last night as the
Nazis, in the light of a strong moon, ranged
along the eastern coast of England. A few
raiders concentrated on one town on the
northeast coast, where high explosives and
incendiaries caused some damage
and
casualties. ... The Germans apparently are
curbing the British successes by improving the
quality of their pilots defending the occupied
zones of Northern France.
Britain paid a cost
on the offensive and the R.A.F. did well to
carry down so many of the enemy trying to
intercept its attack. ... ... Berlin, United
Press, The New York Times,
Thursday, July
10, 1941:
Strongly escorted British bombers
raided the Calais-Boulogne Channel coast today
and lost 25 planes to German fighters and anti-
aircraft gunners according to D.N.B., official
news agency. ... ... Stockholm, Sweden,
United Press, The New York Times,

Thursday, July 10, 1941: Finnish reports
reaching Stockholm said that German and
Finnish troops driving in the direction of
Leningrad from the north were advancing upon
Viborg and Sortavala, former Finnish towns
annexed by Russia. ... On the Finnish-Russian
front the Finns and Germans were reported to
be advancing generally along a 185-mile front
and to have penetrated Russian territory at one
point to a depth of nearly 38 miles. ... ...
Vichy, France, Wireless to The New York
Times,
July 10, 1941: The Petain government,
protesting that Britain had ignored a request to
cease firing in Syria and Lebanon, disavowed
responsibility tonight for continued "violence"
there and proclaimed a last-ditch resistance.
... ... Ankara, Turkey, Special Broadcast to
The New York Times,
By Cyrus L. Sulzberger,
Thursday, July 10, 1941: The French Levant
Fleet under its commander in chief steamed out
of Beirut, Latakia, and Tripoli [Lebanon]
harbors today and sought refuge in Turkish
harbors from advancing British. The official
Turkish news agency announced this evening
that 11 French warships [later put at 23],
including transports and auxiliary craft, and the
commanding officers had already arrived in
Alexandretta. It is officially announced that
unless the vessels depart within 24 hours they
and their crews will be interned. ... ...
Tokyo, Wireless to The New York Times, By
Otto D. Tolischus, Friday, July 11, 1941:
[Thursday, U.S. time] All Japanese spokesmen
have made it plain that Japan is preparing for
the "supreme emergency." Any hopes in
America that Japan is ready to abandon her
"Greater East Asia" program for the sake of
rapprochement with the United States must be
put down as wishful thinking doomed to
disappointment.
The Japanese Army, Navy,
and Foreign Office and every other element are
agreed that, whatever differences there may be
regarding timing, speed, and methods, its [the
establishment of an empire for Japan's self-
sufficiency]
execution is necessary. ... ...
Berlin, Associated Press, The New York
Times,
Thursday, July 10, 1941: The High
Command announced today a sudden burst of
activity by the German Air Force against the
British in Africa, reporting that the Luftwaffe
had attacked the Suez Canal defense zone,
hit
a destroyer, and smashed a British tank thrust.
... ... Cairo, Egypt, Wireless to The New York
Times,
Thursday, July 10, 1941: It is reported
that [R.A.F.] raids upon Bengazi spread flames
in a 500-yard belt along the docks where
explosions occurred. Petrol cars are said to
have gone up in flames on railway sidings.

The blaze on the docks, it is reported, was
seen 40 miles away. ... ... London,
Associated Press, The New York Times,

Thursday, July 10, 1941: British forces "will
naturally continue to fight in Syria" until
General Dentz accepts Britain's armistice
terms, an authoritative source said today. ...
... Vichy, France, Wireless to The New York
Times,
Thursday, July 10, 1941: Tonight's
military communique on Syria tells of a severe
British attack north of Damur,
where only
tanks and anti-tank defenses were involved. ...
In a counter-attack near Damascus the Vichy
forces are said to have taken 100 British
prisoners, including three officers. ... In the
desert region French outposts are reported
resisting renewed pressure of four British
motorized columns, three of which are
advancing on Homs and the fourth on Aleppo.
... ... London, United Press, The New York
Times,
Thursday, July 10, 1941: Free French
Headquarters here said today that General
Charles de Gaulle's
forces had suffered
between 1,200 and 1,300 casualties in the
Syrian hostilities. ... Prime Minister Churchill
announced in the House of Commons yesterday
that between 1,000 and 1,500 British Imperial
troops had been lost in the campaign. ...
Authoritative informants said no news had
reached London regarding the progress of
armistice negotiations. ... ... Cairo, Egypt,
Special Cable to The New York Times,

Thursday, July 10, 1941: Australian troops in
the coastal sector of Syria are announced to
have battered their way through Vichy defenses
around Damur, the last formidable obstacle on
the path to Beirut.

[Stay tuned for late breaking war bulletins.
... Globalization41.]



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