RAIDS ON GERMANY

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 March 1941, Page 8

RAIDS ON GERMANY

VARIOUS CENTRES BOMBED SUPPLY SHIP SUNK [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, March 18. An Air Ministry communique, regarding the bombing of Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, and other places on Monday night, states: Numerous explosions and fires were observed in the dock and industrial areas of the cities. At Rotterdam, a large fire was started amongst petrol storage tanks.

Single aircraft of the same Command attacked Emden and Oldenburg. During these operations, an enemy night fighter was shot down in flames.

Off the Friesian Islands, aircraft of the Coastal Command torpedoed and sank a 5000-tons enemy supply ship. From all these operations, none of our aircraft is missing. The German supply -ship, the sinking of which by Coastal Command aircraft is announced in an Air Ministry communique to-night, formed part of a convoy picked up by a reconnaissance bomber. The pilot attacked the largest vessel from close range, and a torpedo struck the port beam. A heavy explosion from the ship was followed by flames, and debris was flung into the air. The vessel sank rapidly by the bows, and her stern was up when the bomber flew away, after machine-gunning all the other ships in the convoy. FIRES AT BREMEN RUGBY, March 18. In the raid on Bremen, last night, the R.A.F. again attacked the shipbuilding and dockyard centre. Within a minute of the explosion of some of the first bombs on the docks, fires sprang up, and after a quarter of an hour, the sky was red ovei‘ the city. Heavy high-explosives went off in the shipyards and along the quayside. Warehouses by the edge of the docks were blazing, and a direct hit on a large factory set the whole building alight. Another large factory burned with blinding white flames, and all around there was a circle of continuous explosions. Towards 4.30 a.m., ground mist began to get thicker, and the pilot of one of the last aircraft over was having some difficulty in pinpointing his exact position, when a sudden clearing revealed the target, and another stick of bombs was dropped on it. Ten minutes later, a fierce explosion came from the direction of the works. On the way back from Bremen, one aircraft came down to 50 feet, and attacked searchlight and gun pits. One of the searchlights went out with a sudden flash, and crews of the guns were seen running wildly in all directions.

The defences of Bremen were very active, and night flyers were up again. One of them, a Messerschmitt 110, after a brief combat, was shot down in flames and exploded when it reached the ground. The dockyards at Wilhelmshaven were also attacked, and here, too, there were fierce and extensive fires, while at Rotterdam bombs fell among oil tanks, and set a number of them alight.

EACH SIDE LOSES TWO PLANES

RUGBY, March 18.

An Air Ministry and Home Security communique states: There has been little air activity by small enemy forces around our coasts during the day, and few aircraft penetrated inland, but no bombs are reported to have been dropped. Several interceptions were made, and two enemy bombers were shot down into the sea. Two of our fighters, returning with their ammunition exhausted, were attacked by' a number of enemy fighters, and were shot down. Both pilots are safe. GERMAN VERSION LONDON, March 18. The Berlin Official News Agency states: R.A.F. planes flew over the coastal area of Northern Germany during Monday night. Explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped at a number of points. Some civilians were killed in residential districts.

(Recd. March 19, 11.45 a.m.). LONDON, March 18

A German communique states: The Luftwaffe bombed Newcastle last night, also harbours on the east coast of Scotland. The enemy attacked various places in the Germany coastal area, causing some fires. Collapsing houses caused casualties.

MONDAY NIGHT QUIET

LONDON, March 18.

The Air Ministry, in a communique, reports: During the greater part of Monday night there was nothing to report. There was some enemy activity soon after dark and shortly before daylight, over widely-separated districts near the east coast of Scotland. A few bombs were dropped, but there was little damage, and no casualties were caused.

BABY RESCUED LONDON, March 18. After three days’ tunnelling in the debris of a bombed house on the Merseyside, rescuefs heard a cry. They found a baby girl lying in an oldfashioned wooden cradle, which was almost undamaged. The baby’s parents were killed by a bomb.

CLYDE-MERSEY VICTIMS.

RUGBY, March 18.

About 500 people were killed, and about the same number seriously injured, in the raids on Merseyside on Wednesday and Thursday nights last week, and about 500 were killed and 800 seriously injured in the raids of Thursday and Friday nights on the Clyde area. These figures were made public to-night by the Ministry of Home Security, on the basis of more-de-tailed reports which have now been received from these areas.

CLYDESIDE RELIEF.

RUGBY, March 17.

Families who have been bombed out of their homes on the Clydeside, were receiving relief from officers of the Assistance Board within three and

a-half hours of the first raid. Red tape was cut clean away. Lord Rushcliffe (Chairman of the Board), said, in an interview in Edinburgh*, that was the general rule in the distribution of assistance in the blitz period. Money paid, out by the Board to those in need of immediate help, was paid out without prejudice to a final claim. It would be payment on account of a subsequent claim. The Board paid out at to help those who might, for instance, have lost all their clothing. They also paid out a sum to enable a man whose house had been bombed and destroyed, to purchase furniture and necessary household utensils, such as pots and pans. Money was also paid out immediately to enable a man to replace tools needed for his work and which he might have lost through enemy action. In this great matter, help had been received from the trade unions. The honesty of the applicants had been absolutely beyond criticism.

SECRET DEVICE

OTTAWA, March 17.

The Canadian Air Minister, Mr. Power, told the Dominion House of Commons that Britain has a secret device for defeating night bombers. It originated in Britain. He said that many Canadian radio mechanics had been sent overseas to help to operate this device, which was one of the greatest war secrets, and was beating the night raiders.'

FORTRESS-BOMBER

WASHINGTON, March 17.

A four-motored flying-fortress bomber, with British airmen at the controls, has left to-day for Britain. It is the first of 22 to be sent. FIJIAN RECRUITS. RUGBY, March 18. Twenty-three young men from Fiji, including the son of a leading Chief, have been selected for training with the Royal Air Force. They will soon proceed to Royal Air Force stations overseas. After the Fijians obtained permission last year to raise and equip a token force of one hundred men for overseas service, it was decided that they could better be used if they remained with the Fiji forces for the defence of the island. The partial reversal of this decision has caused great satisfaction among the young men, who will soon be taking part in Royal Air Force exploits. MONEY FOR PLANES LONDON, March 18. After subscribing £ 100,000 for the purchase of a fighter aircraft, the people of Trinidad have sent a further amount of £lO,OOO as a first instalment for the purchase of a bomber.

RUGBY, March 17

The Governor of the French Cameroons has put at the disposal of the British Consul-General at Dulala two boxes of gold, amounting in value to £5,000, for the purchase of Spitfires. Already one such gift has been made by public subscription, and it is understood that another donation of a similar amount for the purchase of a third Spitfire is well on the way to completion.

TRIBUTE TO N.Z.’ER.

WELLINGTON, March 19.

Mr. Fraser has received the following cablegram from Wing Commander B. E. Emery, D. 5.0., commanding officer of the squadron to which the late Acting-Flying Officer John A. Strong was attached: “Regret to announce the death of John Austin Strong in a flying accident. During the time he was with us, his scientific work was apparent to us. The service can ill afford to lose him.”