Evening star., 1941-05-10
R. A. F. Strikes
Reich, Channel
PortsAgain
Fierce Doefiehts
Occur Sc Miles
Above Dover
Ry the Associated Press.

LONDON, May 10.-A "concen-
trated and destructive" attack on
Mannheim, railway nerve center
of Southwestern Germany, and
LudWigShafen, just across the
Rhine. was carried out by the
r. A. F. at night, the Air Ministry
announced today. while smaller
number of bombers blasted in
dustrial Berlin.
In Berlin the German high
command admitted that British
caused a number of casualties in
central Berlin and cause fires in
industrial Mannheim)
Extensive fires were left burning
among docks and factory sections at
Mannheim and LudwigShafen, a
communique said
The Air Ministry said powerful
high explosives did immense damage
on both sides of the Rhine and in
eendiarieS contributed largely to the
work of destruction" in Mannheim
and its sister city.
Saw q Fires at Once.
One pilot was said to have OBJ
served 27 fires at once. another to
have seen a large Mannheim factory
burned out.
There were fires in all parts of
the town. among the docks and
railway goods freight yards and in
the area occupied by the Ludwig
shafen chemical factory the Minis
try's news service added.
Polish squadrons participated in
the raids on the cities, which face
each other across the Rhine. All
the crews were said TO have seen
their bombs burst in the target area
except four, whose explosions were
lost in welter of fire and smoke" "
A bomber which attacked Berlin
was said TO have fired on a MesSer-
sChmltt en- route. watched it 60 out
of control. and then continued to
the German capital to unload its
heavy explosives
DothS EhiSo SttS
Docks at the invasion ports of
Calais. Ostend and Boulogne. the
harbor at KristianSand Norway. and
1imulden, in the Netherlands. and
airpcrts in Norway and France also
were attacked
Several planes bombed factories
In Berlin, it was SAID
Offensive night patrols were con-
Quoted over German airdromeS in
Northern France, where bombers lay
in wait to strike at returning raiders.
Five British aircraft were reported
missing from all operations.
Dog Fights Over Dover.
Fierce dog fights occurred over
sun-lit Dover Strait at a height of 5
or miles today as German recon-
Nuisance planes returned after a
comparatively light night attack on
England
Saturday shopping crowds heard
the high-pitched whine of motors,
sharp machine-gun bursts and saw
thin vapor trails high in the sky
as Hurricanes and Spitfires, main
tanning a ceaSeleSS patrol, charged
into the Germans, who tried to hop
from cloud to cloud for cover.
A stick Of bombs dropped by a
single raider on southeast coast
town killed seven persons and in
1ured number of others this after
noon
Berlin Secondary Target.
The British Press Association said
1t understood the force of planes at =
tacking Berlin last night was very
small and that the main assault
was reserved for targets of greater
military importance.
The three raiders credited to
fighters during the night brought
the total Of German warplanes shot
down thus far in May to 124. au-
thorlzed sources said, of which 81
were night raiders. The previous
record total of night bombers de-
stroyed in a single month was 90 in
April.
Fighters were credited with
shooting down "a of the night raid
ers, while anti-aircraft got Is and
barrage balloons the other two.
In last nights raids on England.
a communicate said, some damage
was done in a northwest English
town, but the raids, with Liverpool
again one of the targets, ended