R.A.F. FIGHTS STORM TO ATTACK BREMEN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 164, 14 July 1941, Page 7

R.A.F. FIGHTS STORM TO ATTACK BREMEN

HEAVIEST BOMBS

Persistence Of Night Crews

Rewarded

British Official Wireless. Rec. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, July 13. Thunderstorms up to 15,000 feet made navigation difficult for R.A.F. pilots raiding north Germany last night. The thunderclouds were heavy with a chill moisture, which froze on the wings and airscrews, while magnetic disturbances sent the compasses askew.

But at Bremen there were intervals of reasonable weather, and by the river and other landmarks the pilots found their way to their targets. Some exceptionally heavy bombs were dropped, as well as many others of normal weight, in various parts of the industrial area. The crews could see the fires which they had started. There was as much opposition from the ground defences as from the weather, but the reports show that the crews overcame everything with equal persistence.

One pilot reported that his aircraft had been hit in about 20 places while he was making several runs over the targets to make sure of his aim.

"Nothing to report" is the official statement regarding air activity over Britain in daylight to-day.

Two offensive operations took place over northern France in daylight on Saturday, says the British official wireless. In the morning heavy bombers escorted by fighters attacked railway and canal communications near St. Omer. In the afternoon a sweep Avas made by fighters.

In these operations six enemy fighters were destroyed and two of ours were lost.

Also during the day bombers off the Dutch coast attacked enemy patrol vessels. Gun emplacements on the island of Walcheren also were bombed. One of our bombers is missing. Naples Damage The raid on Naples on Thursday night is referred to in a Royal Air Force Middle East communique which states: "Successful attacks were made on railway stations, warehouses, fuel tanks and shipping. Bombs hit all the targets. A large explosion was caused at an air-frame factory." The fires caused were seen 80 miles away.

The Under-Secretary of State for Air, Captain H. H. Balfour, on arriving in Canada from England, said Britain's greater aerial hitting power and Hitler's failure to maintain his schedule in the Russian campaign had become new and decisive factors in Britain's favour, says a message from Ottawa.

Captain Balfour added: "We are going to win the war with a bomber offensive, taking the war into Germany and blasting enemy industries."

According to another Ottawa message, Captain Balfour said: "The Royal Air Force has succeeded where the Germans failed. They have gained control of the air over occupied countries and are also smashing Germany with bombs."

Aiding Russians

He predicted that air parity with Germany would soon be attained and said that British bombing would cause the Germans to recall aeroplanes from the Russian front, or the German people would complain of betrayal by their leaders.

The value of the British raids was emphasised in a Moscow broadcast, which referred to the boasts by Goering that British bombs would never fall on Germany. The broadcast added that fires were burning in the heart of industrial Germany— the Ruhr —and said industrial production in Germany had dropped by 30 per cent as a result of British raids.

The Russian Tass agency says the Ruhr industries are reported to be working at only 40 per cent, of their normal capacity following Royal Air Force bombings.