WIDE ACTIVITY

Evening Star, Issue 23511, 27 February 1940, Page 7

WIDE ACTIVITY

MTS FINE RECORD MAGNETIC MINE MENACE CURBED ENEMY BASES FORCED BACK LONDON, February 26. (Received February 27, at noon.) Hitherto unrevealed results of air activity in the first six weeks of the year can now be disclosed. The sowing of magnetic mines has greatly decreased, due partly to the rltish bombers’ " standing patrol " over the enemy seaplane bases in the Frisiah Islands, and partly to the bad weather, but contributory causes may be a shortage of mines and German disappointment at the results from those laid. Moreover, the activities of the standing .patrol, which prevented seaplanes from taking, off and returning, apparently resulted in the seaplane bases being moved back to the Baltic. , It can now be stated that the enemy raids against shipping on January 29 spd 30 and also February 3 and 9 followed reconnaissance flights on January 29, when the enemy found Britain snowbound, from which cause they were able to presume that many British fighter aerodromes • would be unserviceable. At least six enemy machines were shot down during these raids. The enemy on January 1 and January 29 attacked one of His Majesty’s ships at the Sbetlands. No damage was done. The made several attacks on . convoys, but were unsuccessful. The damage was confined to isolated vessels or unescorted groups ,of two or three small ships. - The bomber command, among other flights, made photographic reconnaissances of great value over the Lower .Rhine, tbs German approaches to the Belgian and Dutch frontiers, and the Ruhr. Coastal command machines sighted and bombed nine submarines, two of which were each sighted thrice the same day and forced to submerge each time. Three hundred and ten convoys received air escort by day. In the course of six weeks not a single ship was sank. TRAGEDY NEAR CROYDON FUSE CRASHES INTO HOUSE THREE PEOPLE KILLED LONDON, February 25. A Royal Air Force pilot-officer, the sole occupant of a plane, was killed, and Mrs R. Bridge and her daughter died in hospital, while Mr Bridge was badly burnt and seven people were ■lightly injured as the result of a plane which took off from Croydon aerodrome during • black-out on Saturday losing height and striking the roof of Bridge’s hbaaa, taking the roof off the building. The petrol tank exploded when the aeroplane crashed on to the road and demolished a motor car and hurtled across into two garages, which a second axplosion severely damaged. > Firemen hastened to the scene and an. armed guard and police placed a cordon round the area, while debris vm examined under a searchlight. The police removed families from eight houses to hotels. Charred rubbish chokes Bridge’s house, of which only part of the ground floor and the walls ■ra standing. The houses and both ■idea of the garage were charred. WESTERN FRONT INCREASED PATROL ACTIVITY PARIS, February 26. ((Received February 27, at 11.30 a.m.) A communique states that there is increased patrol activity between the Moselle and the Saar. GERMAN COMMUNIQUE BERLIN, February 26. (Received February 27, at noon.) A communique states: “ Our chaser patrols on the western front and Heligoland Bight failed to make contact with the enemy. We shot down a French plane of the Potez 63 type in the Eifel district.” QUIET DAY IN THE LINE PAMS AIR DEFENCES ROUSED > PARIS, February 26. (Received February 27, at 2 p.m.) A night communique states; “ The day, on the whole, was quiet. Antiaircraft guns around Paris fired for 15 minutes at 8.45 p.m. and searchlights swept the skies. The alarm was not sounded.” GERMANS REPORT CLASH OEB6MED AS ” INTENSE ENGAGEMENT ” BERLIN, February 26. (Received February 27, at 2 p.m.) The official news agency referred to an intense engagement in which Ger- , man troops clashed with a bigger enemy force, but nevertheless carried out their reconnaissance plans. The agency added that British attempts to fly over Heligoland Bight were frustrated..