DIRECT HITS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 69, 21 March 1940, Page 7

DIRECT HITS.

ON MANY TARGETS. Air Minister Reports To Commons. PRELIMINARY SURVEY. United Pre3S Association.—Copyright. (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON*, March 20. The Air Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood, in the House of Commons, said the Royal Air Force raid on Sylt last night registered direct hits on hangars, which were set on fire oil storage tanks, which were also set ablaze, and many hits were made on a jetty, a light railway and other parts of the base. Reconnaissances to-day confirmed the success of the operation. AH the reconnaissance machines returned safely. The Sylt raiders were over double the number of German 'planes that participated in the Scapa Flow raid. The Royal Air Force met intense anti-aircraft lire, which did not prevent the machines reaching their targets a,nd dropping a large number of bombs. German fighters sheered off when they encountered the R.A.F. fire. Well-informed circles in London say two R.A.F. 'planes reconnoitred Sylt about 9 a.m. to-day for the purpose of photographing and ascertaining the precise damage inflicted by the R.A.F. during the night. The. aircraft dropped three or four bombs in the centre of Sylt l>efore disappearing westward pursued by a swarm of Herman lighters. Reports From Captains. Typical of the preliminary reports of pilots on their return from the raid, eaye the British Official Wireless, was that by the captain of one of the first aircraft to arrive over the seaplane baee. "One bomb was observed to burst between the hangars. Three bursts were observed just north of one hangar. Two bursts were observed between the base and a slipway."

The captain of another aircraft, reporting the. successful completion of hie task, stated that an enemy lighter had been driven off by the accurate fire of his rear gunner.

Direct hits on hangars housing seaplanes which have raided the British coast, were claimed by the crews of several aircraft. One of the bomber crews saw one of four or five bombs dropped by aircraft ahead of them burst just inland off a jetty. Another crew reported two hangsire burning fiercely as they left the island. Other tires were seen to break out, following the explosion of a number of bombs near the seaplane slipway.

Round the seaplane base itself a semicircle of searchlights came into action as the British aircraft approached.

In an earlier phase of the attack the dropping of bombs was followed by intense light anti-aircraft lire from batteries within the target area. The last of the British raiders to leave the scene of the attack landed back in England at 6.30 a.m.

'PLANE OVER SHETLANDS. NO BOMBS WERE DROPPED. (Received noon.) LONDON, March 20. A 'plane was driven off from the Shetland*. An air raid warning was enforced for half an hour, but no bombs were dropped.