WARSHIPS ATTACKED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 134, 18 March 1940, Page 5

WARSHIPS ATTACKED

ONLY MINOR DAMAGE ONE RAIDER SHOT DOWN (United Press Association. —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, March 17. An Admiralty communique states that German aeroplanes at 7.50 p.m. on March 16 raided the Fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow. About 14 reached their objective. A considerable number of bombs were dropped, one hitting a warship, which suffered only minor damage. Bombs were also dropped on-land, but no military objectives were hit. One civilian was killed and seven wounded, including two women. Five cottages were damaged. The naval personnel sustained seven casualties. Ship batteries, shore defences, and fighter’planes combined to drive off the enemy. ' One enemy aircraft was shot down and others are believed to have been damaged. V “ THE GERMAN VERSION “SEVERAL SHIPS HIT” I ’ (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) . , . BERLIN, March 17. A German radio special early communique stated“ The Air • Force, availing itself of the results of recent reconnoitring nights, attacked units of the British Navy at its base in Scapa Flow on the evening of March 16. Several battleships and cruisers were hit by bombs and heavily damaged. Several air bases were attacked and bombs dropped. The planes completed their operations successfully, despite anti-aircraft and fighter defence, and suffered no losses.” A further communique issued by the German High Command states: “German ’planes bombed six British warships at Scapa Flow and definitely damaged three battleships and one cruiser and probably damaged two other warships. They also bombed three aero- s dromes, and one anti-aircraft battery.”

SCAPA FLOW AND NAVY.

MU CHURCHILL’S STATEMENT. ' *.: .. -i (Received This Day,. 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, March 17. It is recalled that Mr Winston Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty) recently stated that the Navy had not used Scapa Flow since the Royal Oak was torpedoed. - GERMAN ’PLANE CRASHES. ■ (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, March 17. A German war-plane crashed shprtly after midnight on the island of Lolland, one of the most southern of the Danish islands in the Baltic. It was found partly burned. The crew ■are missing. There were two parachutes nehr the ’plane; CIVILIAN CASUALTIES. FIRST OF THE WAR. (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) ' ' ' LONDON, March 17. ,The civilian casualties resulting from the bombing raid on Scapa Flow oc curred in the village of Bridge of Waith. Several cottages wore damaged. These civilian casualties are the first non-combatant casualties, due to air attack, sustained in Britain since the beginning of the" w ar.