HINDERED BY WEATHER

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 74, 24 September 1941, Page 7

HINDERED BY WEATHER

BOULOGNE DOCKS HIT

SUPPLY SHIP VICTIM

RUGBY, September 23,

An Air Ministry communique states: "Yesterday a Beaufort aircraft of the Coastal Command, on patrol off the coast of Norway, attacked and hit a laree enemy supply ship. "Last night the weather was uniavourable for operations, but a small number of aircraft of the Bomber Command, without loss to themselves, bombed the docks at Boulogne. "The crew of one of our bombers which was reported missing from operations last Saturday night has been rescued." Diving steeply to plant a salvo' Of bombs on the deck of a, 5000-ton German supply ship off the Norwegian [ coast, the pilot of a Beaufort aircraft of the Coastal Command went so low that he left entwined round the ship's mast one of the aerials fixed alongside of the plane. SIGHTED A CONVOY. Patrolling off the coast in daylight, the pilot sighted a supply ship in convoy. Down went the nose of the Beaufort, and only when he was below mast height did the pilot pull out sharply. As the Beaufort swept over the ship, the bombs fell in a salvo. At least one, and possibly the whole Salvo, found its mark aft of the ship's superstructure. ■ After getting out of range of the machine-gun fire which opened up from the ship, the Beaufort circled. The ship was seen to be much lower in the water, and there was a cloud of brownish-black smoke hanging over it- „..,,, I

Apart from the loss of its aerial, the Beaufort returned unmarked.—B.O.W.