TURPITZ BOMBING

Evening Star, Issue 25301, 9 October 1944, Page 7

TURPITZ BOMBING

HEW ZEALANDER IH ATTACK fress Association— By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, Oct. 7.; One New Zealander took part in the bombing of me Xirpitz in Alten JFjord when cue K.A.F. carried out its attack trom a Russian airiield near Archangel. Jie is Flying-ollicer J. B. Hosie, of Jaauaia, who is a wireless operator. i lying-oflicer Hosie suki; " It was a wouuertul experience. On the first day we did a long trip lira Lancaster witu our lii.OOOlb bomb to a. base in llussia, from where we were to make the attack. I'lie idea of taking off from Russia was to surprise the Germans. stayed at the base for a few days, and then took off on the raid early on the morning of September 15. I was standing in the astro hatch as we approached the fjord. A smoKescreen had already covered the battleship, but 1 could see the flashes of the 12,00U1b bombs from the other aircraft through the smoke, Then? was one particularly big explosion, and 1 think it was this bomb which made a direct hit on the Tirpitz. " After the attack we returned to the base in Russia. Our aircraft was one of the last to return to England, because one of our engines was damaged, and we had to have a new engine flown out to us from England. We put it in ourselves, most of the work being done by our pilot, an Englishman, Flight-lieutenant R. Knight, D.F.C We all like the Russians. They are most kind and very polite. The food was simple, but good. 'We went on a sight-seeing trip, but otherwise we spent most of our time playing dominoes. Later we were glad to learn that the explosion we had seen was actually a direct hit on the Tirpitz, and that she would have to return to a German naval base in order to. have permanent repairs carried out." The attack, which was made without loss, involved a round flight of 5,000 miles. The Lancasters flew 2,000 miles from England to the Russian base in about 11 hours. The flight to Alten Fjord was about 600 miles. The whole attack was a triumph of planning, organisation, and navigational skill and timing. The Russians gave the British flyers a rousing welcome.' They were very impressed with the Lancasters and amazed by the size of the bomb bays.