NAZI DESTROYER

Evening Star, Issue 23834, 14 March 1941, Page 7

NAZI DESTROYER

TORPEDOED FROM AIR NEW BGMBERS IN ACTION OVER GERMANY SPITFIRE VICTORY OVER SOUTH COAST OF ENGLAND (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Oopyrighi RUGBY, March 13. (Received March 14, at 10.50 a.m.)' The new and more powerful type of bombers were again in action last night, taking part in widespread raids carried out by the R.A.F. extending from Berlin to Boulogne. The Air Ministry news service, giving this information and stressing the number of fires and explosions resulting from these raids, which were carried out by the light of the moon, also gives details of the torpedoing of a German destroyer in the Skagerrak by a Coastal Command Beaufort.

Flying low to make a broadside attack, the British bomber was met by heavy fire, but launched her torpedo and turned safely away. The explosion came a few minutes later and was described by the watching rear-gunner as “ a great white flash—the biggest I have ever seen.” He added that it was too dark to see whether ’ the ship was still there, but there was no more gunfire from her.

Other Coastal Command aircraft attacked an aerodrome in southern Norway ,and shipping and docks at Ostend and 'Boulogne. The victory of two Spitfire pilots who destroyed two Messerschmitt 109’s, part of a small formation attempting to bomb a south coast aerodrome this morning, was witnessed by men on duty at a pilot station. The enemy came in from the sea at low level and two Spitfires at once dived to the attack. One picked on a straggler, which ha chased across the aerodrome and sent crashing into the sea. Meanwhile the other Spitfire pilot succeeded in breaking up and turning the rest of the now scattered formation! He engaged two raiders over the aerodrome, and, firing at both, saw one dive down to within 800 ft of the ground with white smoke pouring from it. A few moments later this machine was seen to crash at Hythe. Both Spitfires landed on the aerodrome safely after this successful engagement.

Late yesterday afternoon one Spit* fire pilot was killed in action over the south-east coast when he attacked two Messerschmjtt 109’s. one of which he damaged, afterwards sending the other to the sea in a vertical dive. Late yesterday afternoon an enemy fighter was destroyed over the Straits of Dover. One of our fighters was lost. DAYLIGHT VISIT TO CALAIS BOMBS BURST ON AERODROME (British Official Wireless.) (RUGBY, March 13. (Received March 14, at 2 p.m.) An official communique states: Soon after midday to-day aircraft of the Fighter Command escorted a squadron, of bombers across the Channel to attack a German-occupied aerodrome in Calais. Bombs were seen to burst on the aerodrome and -among aircraft dispersed at one end of it. Other fighters carried out offensive patrols over the Channel and northern France during the afternoon and destroyed an enemy fighter.