ANOTHER GERMAN RAID

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 June 1940, Page 7

ANOTHER GERMAN RAID

LITTLE DAMAGE REPORTED THREE NAZI BOMBERS LOST

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

LONDON, June 27.

Enemy aeroplanes raided southeastern, north-eastern, and southwestern England, and north-eastern Scotland during the night. There were heavy explosions in north-eastern England, where the raiders hid behind heavy clouds. Incendiary bombs were also dropped, causing small fires, which were quickly extinguished. Three bombs were dropped in north-eastern Scotland, one falling near the house of a retired police inspector, who died from shock. The second wrecked a garage and partially demolished an adjoining house. The third fell in a nearby field. British fighters drove the raiders to SG An official announcement states that two enemy bombers were shot down. No serious damage was done and the casualties were slight.

ENEMY LOSSES (Recd. June 28, 9 a.m.). LONDON, June 27. It is officially stated that two German bombers were destroyed, and one was damaged, in last night’s raids. HEINKEL CREW LANDED. RUGBY, June 27. Four members of the crew of a Heinkel bomber that took part in raids on this country, last night, were landed at an east coast port to-day. It is thus confirmed that three enemy bombers were destroyed in these operations. A fourth is known to have been seriously damaged. It is noted here with interest that the German High Command communique gave the German losses suffered during last night’s raids as only one.

JUNKER FALLS TO PIECES RUGBY, June 27. “There was a sudden flash in front of me, and I saw pieces of metal falling through the sky,” is how a fighter pilot describes the end of a Junkers 88, one 'of the three bombers destroyed in the course of last night’s raid on this country. This machine exploded in mid-air, after being attacked over the east coast. It had been caught by searchlights. When the Spitfire pilot chased to attack, he gave it two short bursts at close range. The bullets must have struck the bomb-storage chamber, for there was a blinding flash, and the machine began to disintegrate. No trace of . the shattered aircraft has been found. GERMAN VERSION. BERLIN, June 27. Reconnaissance attacks by weak enemy sea forces on the northern French coast, during the night of June 24, were easily repelled. A submarine reports sinking 35,000 tons of shipping.

During the night of June 26, German planes again attacked docks and quays, and bombed aeroplane factories in England. One of our planes failed to return.

British planes continued bombing attacks in western Germany, last night, without damaging military objectives. Many civilians were killed or wounded/ Three British planes were shot down.

THE FOURTH ATTEMPT

RUGBY, June 27.

For the fourth consecutive night, the Air Ministry announced shortly after midnight: “Enemy aircraft crossed the coast during the night. The anti-aircraft defences went into action.”

R.A.F. OVER GERMANY.

NIGHT AND DAY ATTACKS.

RUGBY, June 27.

The Air Ministry communique announces: R.A.F. bombers yesterday made daylight raids into Germany. In spite of enemy fighter attacks, the oil plant at Oilsenkirchen and the railway sidings at Soebst were bombed. One of our aircraft is missing. During last night, further bombing operations were carried out. Our aircraft attacked seaplane bases at Texel and Helger, and aerodromes at Schipol, Waalhaven and Dekooy, in Holland.

The aerodromes at Dortmund and Bonn, and at Handorf, near Munster, and at Langehangen, near Hanover, were also bombed. Attacks were made on an oil refinery at Cologne, and an explosives factory at Ludwigshaven, near Mannheim. Marshalling yards and railway junctions at Oshabruck, Rheyet, Hamm, and Soerst were hit. Other bombers attacked docks, lock-gates, and bridges at Willemsoold and Ymuiden in Holland. Two of our bombers are missing.

Our bombers to-day again raided Germany in daylight. An oil refinery at Misburg, near Hanover, was hit, and fires started. Other bombers attacked oil refineries at Bremen, and a factory near Salzbergen. All our aircraft returned safely. Our fighter patrols over France, this morning, attacked two enemy aircraft, destroying one. BRITISH EXPLOITS. SKILL AND ENDURANCE. RUGBY, June 27. An exploit of extraordinary skill and endurance, of a British bomber crew, has been made public. During a recent night raid on north-west, Germany, t an R.A.F. Bomber encountered and shot down a Messerschmitt 109, after two attempts had been made to prevent the British aircraft reaching its target. In the first attack, shells from the enemy’s cannon-gun cut the intercommunication system, and wounded the wireless operator and the observer. The pilot, however, was unaware of what had happened "to his crew, and continued to run up towards the target. Within a few minutes, the enemy fighter again attacked. This time, the pilot spotted his adversary, and turned violently to port. In a moment, the enemy machine was out of control, and dived down to the ground. After this encounter, the pilot re-

turned to the target, and bombed it. A few seconds later, the starboard engine was hit in a duel with an enemy fighter, and caught fire, but the fire was soon put out. The aircraft had been hard hit, and, off the Scottish coast, the pilot gave his crew the choice of bailing out by parachute, or taking the risk of coming down in the sea. The crew were united in their determination to carry on.

By now, one engine had failed, but the pilot struggled on with the other, towards the English coast. On reaching it, engine power proved insufficient to lift the aircraft over the cliff. It therefore turned, and limped along close inshore. Eventually, a landing was made on the beach. Fortunately, the tide was out, and the aircraft came down in shallow water. The crew were saved, and the aircraft was soon salvaged.