R.A.F. SUCCESSES

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 198, 19 May 1941, Page 7

R.A.F. SUCCESSES

Heavy Bomb Attack

On Hanover MANY FIRES STARTED

(British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) (Received May 18, 7 p.m.) LONDON, May 16. Aircraft of the Bomber Command last night attacked targets in Germany, where Hanover was the main objective of a strong force of aircraft. Many fires were started in the industrial quarters of the town. Some of Britain’s largest bombers attacked Berlin. Smaller attacks were made on objectives at Hamburg and Cuxhaven. An Air Ministry communique states that the objectives of last night’s Royal A'ir Force offensive operations included docks at Calais, Boulogne, and Dieppe. Four aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked docks and shipping at St. Nazaire and Lorient. Other aircraft attacked docks at

Ijmuiden. Mentioning attacks on Cologne and shipping off the Norwegian coast a communique states: “Two aircraft are missing. Aircraft of the Coastal Command last night bombed shipping iu French, and Dutch harbours, and Aircraft of the Fighter Command attacked a number of aerodromes in enemyoccupied France. Several R.A.F. aerodromes were attacked during the night, but the damage nowhere was serious and the number of casualties was very small.” - A German communique states that strong formations of the R.A.F. attacked many places in Germany last night. A number of civilians were killed or injured and damage of certain importance caused. The Lyons radio announced that the Italian consulate at Hamburg was badly damaged during a recent R.A.F. raid. R.A.F. bombers attacked targets on the French coast for several hums early this morning. The attack appeared from the south coast of England to be heavier than any made recently and to be concentrated chiefly f on Calais and Boulogne. American Planes. American-built Havocs were again among the aircraft of the Fighter Command active over enemy aerodromes last night. Four aerodromes were bombed. A pilot who had al- . ready dropped his bombs elsewhere, saw on another aerodrome an enemy aircraft landing along the flarepath. He dived on it and opened fire. At one enemy air base bombs hit a building and started what the pilot called “quite a good fire.” At another aerodrome a fighter pilot saw a machine taxi-ing across the landing. He flew down and released his load of bombs right across the aerodrome. Members of the Polish squadron of the Fighter Command did widespread damage when, piloting three pairs of Spitfires, they swept over the Channel and northern France in daylight yesterday. They skimmed fields and hedges at high speed, picking out victims, and ail returned within a few minutes of each other. Their exploits included shooting I down a large three-engined troopI carrier in flames, machine-gunning another troop-carrier which was taxiing across an aerodrome, setting a two-funnelled steamer on fire, ma-chine-gunning two other ships and an E boat, and machine-gunning six Messerschmitt 100’s, which were apparetly filling up at a petrol station on an aerodrome. Details of the attack by the Bomber Command yesterday on a convoy of enemy supply ships north of the Frisian Islands leaves no doubt of the success of the operation. 'Two ships of 5000 tons and 4000 tons were left in flames and a third of about 2008 tons was sending up clouds of smoke. White and yellowish smoke came from the largest ship, followed by a sheet of flame. Flames were also licking out of the side of this ship between the deck and water level. The second largest ship was attacked at the same time. The first a tacking bomber flew so low that it carried away the ship’s wireless aerial. Bombs hit the ship, and by the time the attack was over the vessel was well ablaze. A great deal of smoke poured up from the smaller ship immediately after an attack from a low level. An Admiralty communique states that the naval patrol vessel Perfective . shot down an enemy aircraft on Wednesday night. The aircraft was sighted flying at about 200 feet and was instantly engaged. Tracer bullets were seen to hit it. The engine cut out and the aircraft crashed into the sea. Mr. Warrender, M.P., in a speech said the R.A.F. was known to have hit more than SO vessels with bombs iu “home” waters in the past month. The tonnage involved was well over 180,000, of which at least 60.000 had been sunk.

Perilous Journey. Au exciting and perilous journey Lome in a damaged aeroplane after the recent attack in daylight on Heligoland was described in a broadcast by a sergeant pilot. After referring to the clockwork precision of the attack, he said :— "We did not hang about longer than we had to and. witli all that anti-air-craft fire about, 1 was taking violent I evasive action almost at sea level. I I do not know whether a burst above the aircraft pushed me down, or i whether a very high wave caught us, I but suddenly- the left side of the aircraft was covered by a whirling mass I of white foam, autl I knew that the 1 port airscrew had struck the sea and was churning it up. With all my strength I pulled hack the control column. “Hitting the sea must have pulled us round, for I found that we were heading back to the guns on the island. "We turned west again, keeping fairly level at 109 ft. The port, airscrew was useless, having been badly bent when it hit the sea. “Then a smalt but powerfully-armed German convoy suddenly appeared out of the mist and fired at us. We were a pretty- lame duck, but wo turned and managed to get away." The pilot proceeded to describe how. after he had sent the first distress signal, the useless port airscrew dropped off and the remaining engine began to vibrate so badly tlmt lie had to stop climbing. "So long as we stayed in the air," he said, “there were two courses open to us—either to give the engine an extra boost and risk tearing it to bits with vibration, or jog along and slowly sink. I decided to climb and, as 1 did so. sent out another distress signal." The plant' was about 10 miles trout Hie coast, ami night was coming on. but. eventually England was reached and the plane, despite a badly-damaged undercarriage, mnde a safe landing