FRENCH PILOTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 251, 31 July 1940, Page 5

FRENCH PILOTS.

ATTACK ON NAZI TARGETS. ALL RETURN TO ENGLAND. (Received This Day, 11.3 a.m.) LONDON, July 30. The second communique so- far issued from General De Gaulle’s headquarters states: “Our airmen took part in operations carried out last night by the Royal Air Force over north-west Germany. In spite of violent opposition from the ground defences, the objectives were attacked with success. Important results were observed. All our airmen returned safely.”—(British Official Wireless. EXPLOSIONS AT CHERBOURG. GERMAN REACTION REVEALED. LONDON, July 30. An Air Ministry communique says: “There-was- a yellow/glow over the Cherbourg oil tanks when the pilot of a Coastal Command Blenheim saw them through a haze of smoke early this morning. Others of liis squadron had been there before him with heavy and incendiary bombs. He dropped his load, and there were big explosions on the ground. Blenheims had scored many direct hits on the tanks. One pilot bombed the hangars of an aerodrome and Saw a great yellow flash. The pilot of another Blenheim was worried by a. ring of searchlights. He bombed them and the lights went out. “A German-occupied aerodrome on the Dutch coast was also attacked last night, this time by Hudsons of the Coastal Command. Many fires were started on the airfield.”

The German newspapers and wireless are still trying to make out that little damage is being done, by the British raids. However, some idea of the results of these raids was given by an American wireless commentator, speaking from Germany. He said that people in the area where lie was living had not yet been disturbed at night, but businessmen from northern and western Germany were coming to that area to get some sleep. Another example of the effectiveness of the Royal Air Force visits was contained in a German newspaper, which published a review of air raid precautions. The article referred at some length to the penetrating power of the bombs used by the British. The same paper, a few days before, said that it was only natural that the stay in air raid shelters was becoming a nightly habit. —British Official Wireless.