BOMBING ATTACK SURPRISES NAZIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 1 (Supplement)

BOMBING ATTACK SURPRISES NAZIS.

RAID OJV BORKUM.

Exploit Over Brest Earns

Observer D.F.C.

British Official Wirelw. j,!* (P.cod. 4.30 p.m.) RUGBY, April 11- ||| The surprise R.A.F. attack raeterday on the Friesian Island of Borkam is- !"J

further described in an Air Ministry news "|j service message. As Blenheims of the 'Iji; Bomber Command came in towards tic ' . ;i island, with the seaplane base and bar- ;

racks, was completely silent. Tbe defences seemed quite unaware of the*r arriral. They flew over the towc, close f I'ii above the house tops and, without i.-l; encountering opposition, were able t*> ' ' get direct hits with all bombs. • 1 "•

Some of the buildings were completely :|f*j destroyed. Debris was thrown high into . j»! tlie air and many other buildings were 'J

left in flames. In a low-tevel attack on the barracks all bombs from one aircraft were seen

to burst on the buildinjr. Troops ran out . ; i into the open, and before they couid j take cover the bomber dived down 01; |jj them, and withering fire from 20ft caused 1 Jiil many casualties. ' '!;*! The aircraft then flew on to attack J a motor-torpedo boat lyin~ behind the t 'V jetty. Its crew were machine-gunned- |*<jj Motor vessels were then seen coming 1 into the harbour and our {runners let fly ■' at them also as our aircraft turned for home. i :si

I Ivooking back, the crew could see a pali iof black smoke and dust hanging over *Jljj • Borkum, and reaching up several hundred u-i>, feet. .*{ j It was not until the sharp, unexpected ; « ' attack was over and all bombs had ponv ," ! down that the defences of the island ;)"* ■ went into action. The determination of the R.A.F. t<. destroy the German battle cruispr*. 5"? Seharnhorst and Gneisnau. in Bret-'. : harbour, is epitomised in the antioun& ; ment of a D.F.C. award to Pilot-Office• |A. Eslcr, of the Royal Air Force Voluu . > j teer Reserve. This officer, a native of ! Belfast, was observer of an aircrafi

detailed to attack the ships. In view of the extreme darknes* he was not ab>- }. clearly to identify them, although he • could pick out the positions where the* 1

were reported to be. After searching for ffime t#uc, jn th-

' face of intense anti-aircraft and c earcsi- {j'i ; ]i?ht activity, he directed the pilot ]<• p] "in in at S.»Ooft, from which height iii' j dropped a stick of bomlv, and" mad - || H | reconnaissance. '»( j Determined to obtain proof that th- j*" ships ■aero there hp repeated the opera j. . uon twice, from altitudes of fC.Oflft an.': j'. 7fl ft, and proof wasL obtained. *