Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-24
German Supply Ships
1orpedoed byR. A.F.,
British Report
Objectives in Reich
And Holland Blasted
In Night Roids
BY the Associated Press.

III I\ISut NufcS
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct. 24.-British bomb
ers yesterday successfully tor
pedoed" two German supply ships in
the North Sea and heavily machine
gunned another vessel, the Air Min
istry announced today.
Last night, the ministry also de-
clared, British planes raided various
military targets in Berlin and else
where in Germany and German
held Holland, including railroad
Wharves and warehouses at Emden,
and oil plants, railway functions,
airdromes and docks.
The ministry's communique said
the torpedoing Of the supply ships
was carried out by planes of the
R. A. F.'s coastal command.
Last night our bombers attacked
detectives in the Berlin area, causing
fires and explosions" it continued.
Concentrated Raid on Emden.
The ministry called the attack on
the port of Emden "a concentrated
raid"
The widespread raids on Germany
were made after R. A. F. planes had
been grounded by rain and fog which
made flying impractical Tuesday
night.
Oil plants attacked included
those at Magdeburg and Hanover,
targets in earlier British forays.
One of the detectives in the Berlin
area was a freight yard, the min
istry said
Near Hanover and at Frankfurt
various industrial targets were
bombed, as well as railway juno
lions in Northern and Western Ger
many and docks at the Hook of
Holland. Airdromes also were
bombed, the ministry said.
The communique acknowledged
that one British plane was missing.
Invasion Attempt Blocked.
A great victory in six-week aerial
COMPREHENSIVE that smashed full
dress German attempt at invasion
was claimed officially by the British
yesterday.
Through its news service the Air
Ministry told the story-how Brit
ish bombers had doggedly ridden
the air over a 2OOO-mile NaZi front,
alternately attacking and observing.
until the German invasion fleet had
been dispersed at last and German
invasion springboards had been
wrecked from Narvik, Norway, to
Bordeaux, far to the south in
France.
1t was the first such sweeping
success yet claimed against the peril
that long has lain across the Chan
mel.
Danger Still Persists.
Despite the restrained eXultance
of the Air Ministry's narrative of
the broken attempt at invasion, Off
cial sources reiterated the GUS
tomary British warning:
The threat persists and will per-
siSt as long as German naval units,
barges, troops and air forces are
concentrated along the extensive
coastline of the enemy occupied
countries"
The ministry put September as
the day the mightiest British effort
was begun against the invasion that
did not materialize, and it was de-
clared that from the very first the
British knew the German plans.
Even now" the ministry said,
"the story can be told only in part.
Until lately it would have been ex-
tremely unwise to let the enemy
know how much we knew of his
preparations and of the effect on
them of R. A. F. attacks.
Germans Mass Ships.
Thus hedged, this was the gist OF
the ministry's account.
British pilots brought back stories
of concentrations of German troops
and aircraft lin every available port
or harbor." and from Narvik to
Bordeaux the R. A. F. went out On
a continuing mission Of harassment
and vigilance. Each day, meantime,
saw more and more imposing arrivals
(of Nazi men and materials until
Hundreds of barges and other war
equipment were assembled in Ant
werp- Calais, Dunkerque, OStend,
Newport and Havre.'
The Germans were getting ready
with small warships, with 150-foot
self-propelled barges, each able to
carry two trainloadS of men. They
had commandered every available
barge of more than 500 tons and
great numbers of workmen fitted
out these craft to carry tanks and
guns readily.
Navy Joins in Attack.
At hand, too, were German SUI
marines. At one time and in a sim
gle harbor-Havre-4 big merchant
ships lay ready. Inland, the Ger
mans quickly threw up new aircraft
shelters; railroad trains sped urgent
~ back and forth between Germany
and the Low Countries.