Evening star., 1941-02-16
Huge BIoze Set in
Area from Ostend
To Boulogne
By the Associated Press.

LONDON. Feb. 10 (SunddO.- -
British bombers pounded the Ger
man-held Channel coast from Os-
tend to Boulogne throughout last
night and into the early hours OF
today in the longest and flerceSt
raid yet made on that stretch OF
NaZi territory.
A large formation of British fight
ers crossed back over the Channel
from France just before dusk. The
first waves of bombers went into
action soon after word, suggesting
the possibility that unusual German
activity had been observed.
AS the bombers switched from
target to target, great clouds of
smoke rolled over the Dover Strait,
stabbed by flashing bursts of bombs,
the glare Of great fires and flicker
ing searchlights.
Luftwaffe Accelerates Pace.
The Luftwaffe also accelerated the
pace of its attcaks and raiders were
reported from the Channel to North
ern England and Scotland. Large
numbers of planes were heard over
East Anglia.
A German bomber was reported
brought down in the Newcastle area
late last night. Gunfire on the
Northeast English Coast suggested
coastal artillery or naval guns were
in action.
The Liverpool area had its first
bombs since January 9, but few casu-
altieS, none fatal, and little damage
were reported.
The second alarm of the night in
London ended early in the morning.
There was almost no action during
the second alert, the raiders SEEM
ingly using London as a marker for
other targets.
The British bombed the German
held coast line hour upon hour.
1t was running series of attacks
in great force extending northward
from Belgium down along the mar
roWest stretches of the English
Channel. Hard hit were Dunkerque
and Gravelines, Calais and Bou-
logne. and the Nazi big-gun batteries
at Cap Girls Nez were violently
pounded.
Great Fires Observed.
The Channel area was dotted with
great fires and thunderous inter-
mittent explosions suggested that
ammunition and gasoline dumps had
been squarely hit.
London itself was not wholly inn
mune from attack. Before midnight
there were two air raid alarms. Dur
ing the first, bombs fell in one Lon
don area, but the second alert ap-
peared to have been set off by
German raiders heading for other
parts of Britain. Incendiaries were
dropped in Liverpool.
Britons standing by thousands on
the English coast lifted rolling
cheers for the British airmen dart
ing across the Channel.
Explosions more distant suggested
that inland regions also were be-
ing punished
Night Defensive Barrage.
The German anti-aircraft guns
lifted such mighty barrage that
it appeared the Nazis had recently
placed many more guns along the
invasion coast.
The first attack, men at the scene
of action reported. made the French
coast line look like "a mass of
fire"
From across the water brilliant
flashes Lit up houses on the Kent
coast. Boulogne appeared to be get
ting a devastating attack. The force
of bursting bombs and shells was so
great that windows and doors rat
tied on the English coast.
An ammunition dump near Bou-
logne apparently went up.
The British foray along the chan
mel was continuation of long
aerial offensive during which, the
Air Ministry reported yesterday,
British bomb bursts thundered from
the coast of Norway to the contin-
entail channel ports, and far in
land over Germany'S areas of war
industry.
Ministers Warn Public.
Three cabinet ministers, Arthur
Greenwood, Clement Attlee and
Herbert Morrison, warned the pub
lie in speeches of a hard prospect.
Mr.. Greenwood, a minister with
out portfolio, said an invasion at
tempt may be a question of weeks
rather than months"
Mr.. Attlee, the lord privy seal:
"It may come with gas" But, he
added, there is no use in being
scared of it
Mr.. Morrison, Minister of Home
Security: Night bombing probably
will become more severe than
heretofore"
The Admiralty ordered that all
British ships carry wireless ap-
paratus capable of receiving British
Broadcasting Corporation reports
and to stand wireless watch" three
times a day-apparently to make
certain that none should miss the
warning if the invasion comes.