Evening star., 1940-12-29
Whole Coast From
Calais to BouIogne
Reported Alight
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 28.-In an evi-
dent attempt to smash Ger
many's winter preparations for
invasion Of England, great squad
rons of British planes loosed
bombs on the Nazi-held offensive
bases and blockade ports in
France tonight at a rate that
reached 100 a minute.
A declaration that the British
objective apparently had been
reached was made by a neutral air
observer in close touch with the
British air staff. He described the
assault as "equaling in intensity
anything ever delivered by the Ger
mans on any British city or town"
THE whole coast from Calais to
Boulogne is aiight," one observer
reported. 1t was Boulogne itself
which was at the fiery core of the
British bombardment - Boulogne
whose port is deep enough to ac-
conmodate heavy cruisers.
- Serves as Sub Base.
The port also serves as a German
submarine base and a haven for the
flat-bottomed invasion craft as
sembled by the Nazis.
The mighty attack, which was di-
rected also at Nazi big-gun positions,
capped a series of assaults in prog
ress almost continuously since
Thursday.
Late tonight there had been no
raider over London. but a southwest
town suffered one of its worst raids
of the war.
Successive formations of German
bombers scattered incendiaries and
high explosives over all sections of
that city Two hospitals were hit
and many stores and homes de-
stroyed. The British Press Associa-
ton reported however, that the
number of casualties was believed
comparatively small"
During the day there had been
but one reported instance of Ger
man bombing in all Britain: At
Southampton, where a single plane
caused some damage"
Mass Assault Reported.
But on the French side it was
vastly different story.
Watchers on the coast reported
that British bombers were attacking
In a mass assault from Calais south
to Boulogne. The roar of heavy
explosions rolled across the fog
ridden sea and flashes lit the skies.
German searchlight batteries
lifted their white beams in scores;
British parachute flares and the
flaming shells of German anti-air-
craft filled the air.
A fire was blazing near the Ger
man big gun stations at Cap Girls
Nez. The glare could be seen plainly
through the fog.
The British struck first soon after
dusk and continued without an in
terruption until about 8 o'clock.
There was a short lull, broken only
by the roar of the motors of scores
of bombers, and then a second and
more violent phase began.
Follows Plain Warning.
Soon, the sky above the French
coast was bright with fires.
The resumption tonight of attacks
on the German bases followed plain
warnings to the public here that a
great and perhaps decisive struggle
was at hand.
The threat of Nazi spring across
the channel, one informed source
said, was no more serious than
Britain's shipping situation.
I'VE are running as much chance
Of being choked by the CGerman)
blockade before United States aid
reaches its peak as we are Of getting
a knockout blow on the chin by
INVASION" he added.
you can take it that we're not
going to be diverted from the job
of countering these two real dangers
fat-out by any sideshow ~
The Evening Standard, owned by
Lord Beaverbrook, the British min
lister for aircraft production, sug-
gested like view that invasion was
but one twin of the perils facing
Britain.
"It is plain" the paper said,
"that Hitler's whole and urgent
purpose is to batter down the de-
fenses of Britain before next sum-
mer. The people of Britain
are at this moment dependent for
their lives on keeping the sea roads
clear enough of bandits to let a
percentage of traffic pass"
New Hits at Lorient.
The new British bombing CAM
paign was carried out yesterday
and through last night from Nor
way to Southern France over 1000
miles of German-occupied coast
line by many of the R. A. F. in
coordination with navy flyers.
Then the r. A. F.s coastal COM
mand returned twice today, the Air
Ministry announced, to make new
hits on the docks at Lorient,
(See r p page A-6)