R.A.F. MAKES SURE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 108, 9 May 1941, Page 7

R.A.F. MAKES SURE

MOONLIGHT ATTACK

Armour-piercing Bombs On Warships At Brest

British Official Wireless.

Rec. 2.30 p.m.

RUGBY, May 8

Weather conditions in the northwest corner of France last night gave the R.A.F. an opportunity to make sure of doing effective damage to the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, states the Air Ministry.

"The docks and harbour at Brest lay exposed in the moonlight, and our crews could plainly see the Gneisenau in dry dock and the Scharnhorst moored up against the jetty near the torpedo boat base," says the report. The attack was made with no less deliberation than precision. The bombs had to be dropped not only in the right place, but from the right height, and battle cruisers make a very small target when seen at a height from which a heavy armour-piercing bomb will fall with enough force to penetrate the specially protected decks of battle cruisers. 'Some pilots used the alternative method of diving rapidly on to the target so that the speed of the aircraft added to the momentum of the bomb. One such dive was made from over 10.000 feet and the bomb released on the way, the pilot continuing to dive to "about 2000 feet before he baled out. ''The whole of his crew was confident that the Gneisenau had been hit. Another crew claimed direct hits on the vessels. One very heavy armour-piercing bomb burst' immediately forward of the funnel of the Gneisenau. "An equally heavy bomb was seen (to burst in the forepart of the Scharnhorst, and a large and brilliant explosion which followed it lit up the whole ship. There were also many near misses beside both ships, which may well have done further substantial damage."