R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 July 1941, Page 5

R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

CENTRAL BERLIN BOMBED QUIETER WEEK-END RUGBY, July 27. An Air Ministry communique describing the Royal Air Force offensive on Friday night, said 'that it was mainly concentrated on Hanover and Hamburg, where industries, docks, and communications were heavily bombed. A small force of fourengined bombers attacked objectives in Berlin. Aircraft of the Fighter Command carried out further attacks on enemy aerodromes in northern France during the night. Nine British bombers were missing. Tne iour-engihed bombers which raided Berlin carried a full load, including some of the heaviest and most powerful bombs in Britain’s aimoury. There was no doubt about where they had fallen, as huge flashes were seen right in the-centre of the city. The bombers circled round to find their exact position by the light of flares. “At first,” said the captain of one bomber, “the anti-aircraft gunners seemed to be trying to fox us, and gave no sign of existence, but as soon as our bombs began to fall all the guns fired. It was no longer any use lor them to pretend that Berlin was not just below us. We had flown through storms and above clouds on the way out, but there were no clouds over Germany. We passed through two vast belts of searchlights before we reached Berlin. They looked brighter than ever on so dark a night in the centre of the city.” An Air Ministry communique says that a Flying Fortress bombed tne port of Emden yesterday morning while it was on a reconnaissance flight. British fighters carried out offensive patrols over the French coast. An enemy patrol vessel off Boulogne was attacked with cannon and machinegun fire. One enemy fighter was shot down. No British aircraft was lost in these operations. SATURDAY QU T ET. LONDON, July 27. For the first time for some weeks, it is believed that there was no Royal Air Force activity over Germany last night. Britain was again free from daylight raids yesterday. There was very little enemy activity during the night. Bombs were dropped at one place along the coast of Scotland, but there were no casualties. An official communique says: There is nothing to report regarding air activity over Britain, torday.— 8.0.W. . • • GERMAN EXAGGERATIONS RUGBY, July 27. One of the signs by which the world knows that the Luftwaffe Command is conscious of receiving a severe puny ishment is the publication of claims io have destroyed vast numbers of British aircraft. This symptom of extreme uneasiness first became apparent during the battle of Britain, when ■he Nazis used to publish figures which were almost exactly the revise of the facts. In a greater or lesser degree the same tendency has been nanifest in the intervening .months md it became more noticeable as the weight of the Royal Air Force attack ncreased. Thus, on Wednesday the Germans claimed that 54 Royal Air force machines were brought down wer the Channel, a number which was ncreased by 10 on Thursday night. Actually, the Royal Air Force lost 15 —lO fighters and five bombers. Thursday’s magnificently successful result against the Gneisenau and the icharnhorst has brought similar ■flaims, which were being published jeiore the Royal Air Force announcement revealing the actual losses and which will doubtless later be increased. According to Nazis, 32 Royal Air Force aircraft were brought down between Calais and La Rok. In fact, the British losses were 22 —15 bombers and seven fighters. Thitry-three Nazi machines were destroyed, apart from the very considerable damage inflicted by the bombing. WEEK’S COMPARATIVE LOSSES. "RUGBY, July 27. . While the R.A.F. offensive over Europe is showing ever-increasing violence, the figures for last week show that the Nazis lost the same number of machines as the R.A.F. — 64. This is all the more surprising when it is realised that the German anti-aircraft efforts to protect the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were on a very large scale,, and the R.A.F. attacks were carried out in daylight. The comparative totals for the week ending at dawn' on July 27 are: 35 enemy machines against 75 of the R.A.F. Over Britain, five German machines were lost, against one British. In the Middle East, the Axis lost 13 and the British four, while the Navy destroyed 13 for the loss of six. During the same period, the German High Command claimed to have destroyed 127 British machines in the West alone, against the loss of seven. —8.0.W. NEW ZEALANDER’S D.F.C. LONDON, July 26. The citation describing the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Acting-Squadron Leader I. G. Richmond, of the Royal Air Force, bf flelson, states that Squadron Leader Richmond for the last year commanded a flight with conspicuous leanness and leadership. During he night of May 7, he dived through heavy and accurate anti -aircraft fire and scored a direct hit on the Gneiseaau at Brest. He had always provided an example of efficiency, courage, and devotion to duty.