RAID ON NORTH-WEST GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 208, 30 May 1941, Page 8

RAID ON NORTH-WEST GERMANY

Heavier Activity Over

Britain

LONDON, May 29.

In spite of very bad weather, a small force of R.A.F. bombers last night attacked targets in north-west Germany. At least one-enemy aircraft was destroyed over this country last night. A communique issued this morning adds that enemy activity was heavier than on previous nights. Bombs were dropped at a number of widely separated places, mostly in coastal districts, the north-west, the . south and the south-east of England. There was some damage and some castialties. The plane shot down was one of Germany’s latest fighters. Several others were damaged. There were .no British losses. GERMAN SUPPLY SHIP HIT (British Official Wireless.) (Received May 29, 7.5 p.m.i RUGBY, May 28. A German supply ship of about 5000 tons was left listing and settling down" off Brest after a Coastal Command aircraft had scored two direct hits with heavy bombs. The ship was in a German convoy and was escorted by five armed trawlers. One bomb in the first salvo- made a direct hit and the ship stopped. The pilot climbed and repeated the attack. A bomb from this salvo became in effect a torpedo. It was seen to strike the water about four feet from tiie ship. Immediately there was a spout of water alongside the vessel, which then began to list heavily. The pilot estimated that the bomb had skidded along the water and bad “torpedoed” the ship below the water line. All the armed trawlers had opened fire, but the aircraft was hit only twice.

Giving an account of R.A.F. raids ou Cologne and Boulogne, an Air Ministry communique said: “Yesterday afternoon a formation of Bomber Command aircraft made a successful raid on German aerodromes in Lannion, in Brittany.

“Our bombers attacking from a low level at one aerodrome, with bombs and machine-guns, destroyed seven lighters on the ground and damaged others. A hangar wtrs demolished and another damaged and lorries standing on the runways were hit. The aerodrome was hidden by smoke when the bombers left.”

The communique adds that in daylight attacks on enemy shipping yesterday two coastal vessels were hit and probably sunk, one off the Dutch coast by an aircraft of the Bomber Command and the other in the Bay of Biscay. Coastal Command aircraft attacked an enemy aerodrome near Caen during the night.

From these operations an aircraft of the Bomber Command 'is missing. Last night industrial targets at Cologne were attacked. Bursts were seen on important objectives and several large fires were started. A smaller force attacked the docks at Boulogne. MENZIES CONFIDENT Outcome Of Battle Of ■Egypt SYDNEY, May 28. The battle of Egypt was discussed today by the Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Menzies, in the course of a Statement to the Commonwealth Government. lie declared that reinforcements sent from England had been so considerable that he awaited the outcome confidently. In the absence of a miracle, 1041 would be a year of struggle for the British people all over the world, but he predicted that the end of the year would see the nightbomber defeated and the battle of the Atlantic won.