BOMBERS ATTACK KIEL

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23413, 21 August 1941, Page 5

BOMBERS ATTACK KIEL

Enemy Aerodromes

Raided

MORE DAYLIGHT SWEEPS

(Received August 20, 11 p.m.)

(U.P.A.-8.0.W.) LONDON. Aug. 20. In spite of very bad weather. British bombers were again over north-west-ern Germany last night. Kiel was the main objective, but other targets were also attacked. Other machines attacked aerodromes in enemy-occupied territory. From these operations two aircraft of the Bomber Command are missing. In daylight operations over the Channel and enemy-occupied territory yesterday, 13 enemy fighters were destroyed. The British losses were three bombers and 14 fighters, but the pilots of four machines are safe.

An Air Ministry communique describing these operations, says; “Royal Air Force fighters and bombers carried out extensive operations over the Channel and enemy occupied territory yesterday. During the morning an offensive sweep was made over northern France by many squadrons of fighters. In the afternoon fighters attacked enemy coastal shipping in Ostend harbour. Many vessels were hit and one was left sinking. “Railway yards at Hazebrouck were attacked later in the day by Blenheim aircraft of the Bomber Command, accompanied by a strong fighter escort. Many bombs were seen to burst on the target. Other Blenheims attacked enemy shipping off the Dutch coast.” An Air Ministry communique dealing with Royal Air Force activity on Monday night, states: “Cologne and Duisburg were again attacked by Bomber Command aircraft last night. The weather was fine, and a great number of heavy bombs were seen to burst on both towns. Many large fires were left blazing. Another force effectively bombed the docks at Dunkirk. Eight of our aircraft are missing. “Fighter Command aircraft on an offensive patrol attacked enemy airfields in occupied territory during the night.”

Fierce Anti-Aircraft Fire

The British raid on Cologne' and Duisburg was made by large numbers of. heavy bombers, states the Air Ministry News Service. ' Once more the Germans appear to have brought up a new defence for the Ruhr and Rhineland. One bomber was held over Cologne by searchlights for an hour, while there was fierce anti-aircraft fire from both sides, of the river, but the weather was on the side of the attackers, and they dropped load after load of incendiaries and high-explo-sives on the factories and railways at Cologne and Duisburg. “We played our usual game of hide and seek with the searchlights and anti-aircraft fire,” said a rear-gunner, “and we didn’t let the fireworks put us off. As we turned sharply away from Cologne after bombing, I could see our own fires adding to the light of those there before.”

There were as many large fires at Duisburg as at Cologne, including a great oil fire on the west bank of the river, opposite the inland docks. It was burning explosively with a heavy cloud of black smoke over it. A German Focke-Wull Condor aeroplane on its way to attack Atlantic convoys was intercepted by an Ameri-can-built Lockheed Hudson of the Royal Air Force Coastal Commhpd and only escaped minus its bomb load, damaged, and with some probable casualties. The, fight, which took place a few feet above sea level, ended after 19 minutes when the Condor fled with its cannon and one machine-gun out of action. The two aircraft roared round each other till they were at point-blank range, when bullets fnom the Hudson’s rear turret were seen to pour into the Condor’s fuselage. When the Hudson climbed to get into a better attacking position, the Condor took advantage of the opportunity to make off at top speed. The Hudson had not enough petrol to follow and then get home. An Admiralty communique states that a Junkers 88 which attacked a group of minesweepers was shot down in the sea. It was hit by light antiaircraft fire from minesweepers in the. group and by a shell from His Majesty’s trawler Charles Doran. No casualties or damage were suffered by the ships. Very few enemy aircraft were over Britain last night. Bombs caused some damage on the south-east coast and a small number of casualties. One enemy bomber was destroyed. There was nothing to report in daylight,-

TOWNS DAMAGED IN AIR RAIDS

LEGISLATION TO CONTROL REBUILDING

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, August 19. Plans for rebuilding towns which have suffered heavily in air raids were mentioned .to-day by the chairman of the War Damage Commission, Colonel A. M. Trustram Eve. He said he had just completed a tour of these towns, and although everyone would wish that it had come about another way, a long-deeded opportunity had been given by the' raids to carry out a very necessary measure of replanning. He reevaled that in 16 cities, including London, Birmingham, Coventry, Liverpool, Plymouth, and Sheffield, the power given by Parliament to prohibit rebuilding except with the permission of the controlling authority had been exercised, with the result that no rebuilding could take place until those concerned with good planning had completed their scheme.

Colonel Eve stated that comprehensive legislation dealing with the whole subject of planning was contemplated. •

NEW LEG SENT TO BADER

DROPPED BY PARACHUTE FROM FIGHTER

CReceived August 20, 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, August 20.

The “Daily Express’’ says; “Bader’s bus service” sent Wing Commander D. R. S. Bader, the legless pilot, who is now a prisoner in France, a new metal leg which was dropped by parachute from a fighter during the normal course of a daylight sweep over northern France.

Wing Commander Bader’s colleagues competed for the honour of delivering the leg. They decided that members of “Bader’s bus service," which flies almost every day between the South of England and occupied France should do the job. The leg wails carefully packed to avoid damage and was last seen floating to the ground.

BRITISH TROOPS IN FAR EAST

JAPANESE ESTIMATE OF STRENGTH

SHANGHAI, August 19. The Saigon correspondent of the Japanese Domei News Agency says that approximately 73,000 (British troops, including 4200 Indians and 250 aircraft, are massed within 20’ kilometres of the Thai-Malaya. frontier. Thirty-three thousand British troops, including 25.000 Burmese, are stationed in Burma with headquarters at Mandalay. Twenty thousand British troops are in Singapore.