HEAVY ATTACKS BY R.A.F.

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23300, 9 April 1941, Page 7

HEAVY ATTACKS BY R.A.F.

Raids on Kiel, Emden And Bremerhaven

TROOPS IN FRANCE MACHINE-GUNNED

(Received April 8, 11 p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, April 8. Last night's main Royal Air Force bombing raids were on Kiel. Bremer* haven, and Emden. An early report said the attacks were heavy. An Air Ministry communique states that enemy warships, supply vessels, and troops were once more attacked in daylight on Sunday by British aircraft. A Coastal Command Beaufort aircraft torpedoed a German destroyer off the north west roast of France arid it is believed to have been sunk. Another destroyer was damaged by a bomb which struck the vessel's bows.

Bombs dropped by the Bomber Command on targets at Ijmuden, in Holland, fell among blast furnaces, iron and steel works, and a line of gasholders. Clouds of smoke and steam prevented further observation of the results.

Troops, aerodromes, lorries, and gun positions were machine-gunned from low altitudes by single fighters, which carried out offensive patrols over northern France. During one of these patrols, an enemy fighter was encountered -and attacked, and it was seen to crash when attempting to land and was probably destroyed. On Sunday night the Bomber Command made another attack on Brest. The very bad weather and thick cloud, although making it difficult to observe the results, did not prevent the British aircraft reaching the dock area and dropping a large number of bombs, some from a low level. Other aircraft attacked the docks at Calais and Ostend and aerodromes in the Low Countries. Three aircraft of (he Coastal Command are missing from the daylight operations on Sunday, and one aircraft of the Bomber Command is missing from the night operations. J