SPITFIRES' RAID

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 272, 17 November 1941, Page 7

SPITFIRES' RAID

Trail Of Wreckage Left In North Of France BOMBERS OVER GERMANY British Ofllcial Wireless. Rcc. 2 p.m. RUGBY, Nov. 16. Spitfires in one operation over Northern France yesterday left a trail of wreckage Dehind. In one coast town the target—a brick building on the side of the railway—was lelt burning after only one attack. Black and white smoke poured from it. This building was situated in a small town on the Cherbourg Peninsula, and troops, who were in the town square, scattered in all directions during the Spitfires' attack.

In another case the target, which had a large chimney on one side, was shot up from ground level, the chimney and Lop windows of the building were seen to be hit and the bunding immediately burst into flames. One aircraft damaged its radiator through hitting a tree in its low-level attack, but all returned from this operation safely.

An Air Ministry communique states that the Bomber Command last night, despite heavy cloud and severe icing conditions, attacked Emden and other ports in Northwest Germany. Four of our planes are missing.

An official communique states that early last evening a number of single aircraft dropped bomb- at a few widely spread points o' the coast of England and Scotland. These caused slight damage and no casualties.

An official communique says two enemv bombers were destroyed on the east coast of England to-day, otherwise there is nothing to report.

A German communique cabled states that bombers in daylight scored a direct hit on a blast furnace at Middlesborough, and last night attacked port installations on the east and south-west coasts of England.