Evening star., 1940-12-28
British Batter
Nazi Ports on
1,000-Mi|e Line
London Suffers One
Of Heaviest Bomb
Attacks of War
BULLETIN.

BULLETIN.
LONDON (Pl.-The Air Minis
try announced that British bomb
ers made two more attacks on the
docks of Lorient in NaA occupied
France today.
Bombs dropped on the port OF
Southampton by a lone raiding
plane this afternoon caused some
damage" the Air Ministry and
Ministry of Home Security an
nounced.
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 28.-After one OF
the heaviest night bombing attacks
of the war on London, Britain's
own bombing planes were reported
today to be jabbing at Adolf Hitler's
invasion ports along 1000 miles OF
Nazi-occupied coast from the Bay
of Biscay to the fjords of Norway
Navy dive bombers joined the
r. A. F. in raids on shipping, docks
and air and sea bases while avail
able units of the feet kept weathe,
eye on Britain's other big worry
her beleaguered transoceanic sup
ply lines.
THE shipping situation worries
us as much as the threat OF in
vasion," one source asserted. I'VE
are running as much chance OF
being choked by the blockade be-
fore United States aid reaches its
peak as we are of being knocked
out by an invasion.
You can take it we're not going
to be diverted from the job of coun-
tering these two real dangers fiat
out by any sideshow such as the
reported German troop movements
in the Balkans-whether that's a
real move to strengthen the Ger
man position there, or merely a
red herring"
Latest Blows Listed.
The Evening Standard, owned
by Minister of Aircraft Production
Lord Beaverbrook, said:
"It is plain that Hitler's whole
and urgent purpose is to batter
| down the defenses of Britain be-
fore next summer" and added that
'the people of Britain are at this
moment dependent for their lives
on keeping the sea roads clear
enough of bandits to let a percent
age of traffic pass"
The latest blows in Britain's of
fensive-defensive" aerial operations
| as detailed by the Admiralty ano
Air Ministry included:
! l. Attacks by the r. A. F. on Nazi.
held invasion ports" where un.
usual troop movements have beer
reported recently.
I 2. r. A. F. raids on docks, air
dromes and submarine bases ir
German-occupied France.
3. A joint attack by the feet all
arm and the r. A. F. on shipping
and harbor works at Haugesund
| NaZi-held harbor in Norway, ir
which dive bombers were said tc
have scored three hits which started
! fires and caused a violent ex-
plosion" or supply ship. Ware
houses and jetties also were re-
! ported hit.
Planes Return Safely.
/ One of the British raiders dived
low to silence an anti-aircraft gun
with machine-gun fire, the Admiralty
reported. All the planes were saio
to have returned safely.
/ Haugesund is about 80 miles north
of the large port of Stavanger, or
Norway's west coast, and about 200
miles airline from the nearest point
in Scotland.
Haugesund and the shipping bases
around Stavanger are regarded as
among those which could serve the
Germans well in event of a move
to invade England. Such an in
vasion, it is believed here, woulc
come simultaneously from ports be-
tweel the Bay of Biscay and the
lower Scandinavian Peninsula.
The fleet air arm has made several
attacks recently on German-occu-
pied Norwegian ports.
Fly Over Four Hours.
Wave after wave of German
bombers attacked the capital last
night in a raid which, while i
lasted, equaled in intensity any in the
past. For four hours the raiders flew
over, dropping incendiaries and ther
heavy explosives in district after
district. 1t was the first raid or
London in three nights.
| A terse government statement &C.
knowledged that "a number" Of
people were killed and that many
dwellings" were destroyed or dam
aged. Numerous fires were started
but they were dealt with quickly
and efficiently" the communique
said.
The Nazi airmen began Their
forays on London just after dusk
A hospital which cares for TOO pa
tients was damaged by two bombs
which landed nearby, but no one
was hurt.
| A building housing an American
firm also was damaged. (There was
some indication that this might have
(See LONDON, Page A-4.)