Evening star., 1940-10-18
Nazi Invasion
Beaten Sept. 16,
British Report
R. A. F, Is Credited
With Forcing Troops
To Leave Ships
~ the Associated Press.

~ 1SOVS SiiPS
- the Associated Press.
LONDON. Oct. 18.-Authoritative
British aviation sources asserted to-
day that r. A. F. bombers frustrated
. German attempt at sea-borne in
vasion of England on September 16,
forcing a Nazi abandonment of in
vasion ships "by the ferocity of their
attack"
AFTER German troops were loaded
onto their ships preparatory to brav-
ing the Channel crossing, r. A. F.
bombers sped over and made their
departure impossible by the ferocity
Of their attack" these quarters de-
elared.
(Authorized German sources in
Berlin said today that nothing
Is known" there about any foiling
Of q German attempt to invade
England by British air attacks
on transports in Channel har-
bors, as reported by British au-
thorities.)
On September 16 the r. A. F.
eommunique told of direct hit on
Q German warship. severe dama~e
to an oil tanker and supply ship and
the sinking of three supply ships
and damage to others.
Also attacked that day were con-
eentrations of war supplies, barges
and shipping at Hamburg, Will
helmshaven, Antwerp, Flushing, Os-
tend, Dunkerque, Calais, Boulogne
and lie Havre-virtually the entire
"invasion coast" of Germany and
the occupied Low Countries and
France.
The asserted invasion attempt ap-
parently was crushed without loss of
q British plane. The R. A. F. COM
munique covering that day said that
all the attackers returned safely.
The German high commands
communique, issued September IT,,
but covering September Is, offers
only denial of any such r. A. F.
offensive action.
yesterday and last night the
OI1GIIly dICSlllpGeO IlO dlIdChS Oll 1Cl .
man territory"
But the R. A. F. .communique Of
September 16 and an Air Ministry
news service announcement of the
succeeding day told in detail of a
big-scale assault and of a recon-
Nuisance to ascertain dispositions
of 1.-The German sea forces" the day
after "harassing bombing action"
and q Channel gale which had scat
tered the Nazis' surface craft.
The two British announcements,
In lieu of more detailed account,
offer the best picture of the attack
credited with smashing the invasion
attempt.
During the night of September
1915 the r. A. F. bombed Berlin and
further heavy attacks were made
on concentrations or war supplies,
barges and shipping at the dock
yards and ports of Hamburg, Will
helmshaven, Antwerp, Flushing,
Ostend, Dunkerque, Calais and
Boulogne," the communique said.
Freight Yards Bombed.
"Other forces of R. A. F. bombers
attacked distribution centers at
Hamm, Osnabruck, Soest and Kre-
field. Goods yards freight YARDS
at Hamburg and the railway juno
ton at Rheine were also bombed.
"A direct hit was made on an
enemy warship off Terschelling "a
Dutch island off the Netherlands
COAST. An oil tanker and supply
ship in the Elbe Estuary Northwest
Germany were severely damaged.
aircraft of the coastal command
sank an enemy supply ship Of
1jmuiden (the Netherlands). Con-
voys off the Dutch coast were also
attacked. Two supply ships were
sunk and others severely damaged.
ATTACKS were also made on the
shipping and docks at LIE Havre
where ships alongside the quays and
the quays themselves were repeat
edlv hit.
From these extensive and sue
cessful operations all our aircraft
returned safely
Starting at dawn on September II
British reconnaissance planes
combed the German-held coastline
of the channel area for signs of any
German invasion fleet, the Air Min
1stry news service said.
searches on large scale had
been organized overnight to ascer-
tain sudden changes in the DISPOSE
tions of the German sea forces"
the news service went on.
"These changes were imposed on
the enemy after a day OF harasslng
bombing action and in consequence
OF the strong westerly wind which
swept the channel through the night.
1T blew with gale force in exposed
places where the German surface
craft had been last sighted. Most
OF the Channel was very rough and,
as was expected, the enemy ships
and small craft had scattered ard
scurrled to seek shelter.
Their positions were quickly
located today by the coastal COM
mand. = Today the coastal COM
mand aircraft gave escort to many
large conveys of merchant vessels
and there was not single enemy
(see INVASION, Page A-14)