R.A.F.’S NEW BOMBS

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 August 1941, Page 8

R.A.F.’S NEW BOMBS

DEVASTATION IN GERMANY EXPERTS SEARCH FOR SECRET (Rec. 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 6. The Germans are trying desperately to discover the secret of Britain s new powerful bomb, which is causing such devastation in Germany, reports the “Telegraph’s” Lisbon correspondent. A traveller from Berlin told him that at one spot in Berlin, War Office experts /pent days searching the debris for fragments, which would give a clue to the construction and nature of the bomb. ~ jn ~, , .... The traveller said that the building in which he lived, was shaken to the foundations by a bomb which fell nail a mile away. This bomb blew off the roofs of houses, and smashed windows over a radius of 600 yards. R.A.F. raids on Germany have been so severe that the whole Black Forest holiday areas are c J oW d e d .wth evacuees from the Ruhr and Rhineland. —U.P.A.

NINE BRITISH PLANES MISSING.

RUGBY, August 6. An Air Ministry communique, describing R.A.F. operations on enemy territory, last night, says: Mannheim and Frankfurt were heavily attacked, while factories and railways at Aachen, and docks at Ostend, were among other targets bombed during th ßeaufort aircraft of the Coastal Command, on patrol, last night, bombed a large supply ship in the enemyoccupied port of Nantes. Two direct hits on the ship were observed. From these operations, nine of our bombers are missing. , The Air Minister, disclosed m a Parliamentary answer, that the armament works at Essen had been . attacked on 22 occasions.—B.O.W.

ATTACK ON CHERBOURG

RUGBY, August 6

Details of R.A.F. daylight operations on Wednesday were given m an Air Ministry communique, which stated: During the day, our fighters carried out a number of offensive patrols. In the course of these, two enemy tankers in the Channel were attacked with cannon and machinegun fire, and one was set on fire. Attacks were also made on enemy aircraft on the ground at the aerodrome at Cherbourg, as well as on antiaircraft gun positions. Enemy fighters were encountered, and four Oi them were destroyed. One of our fighters is missing. The fighter squadron which carried out the attack on the enemy aircraft at Cherbourg aerodrome was the same squadron which shot up German bombers and fighters at the same aerodrome on Tuesday. The first R.A.F. pilot over saw the burntout shell of a JU. 17, which he had fired at on Tuesday, and several other bombers were also wrecked, len or 12 ME. 109’s lined up on the boundary of the aerodrome were machinegunned and shot at with cannon. Many were hit. The squadron leader then fired a burst into one of the JU. 87’s wrecked in Tuesdays raid, in order, as he afterwards said, to make assurance doubly sure. As he text the aerodrome, he looked back ana saw a column of smoke rising from it. Another fighter of the squadron arrived as a gun-post was firing at the same squadron leader. He silenced it and then saw one of the undamaped ME. 109’s taking off. He gave it a burst, and it went up in flames. On the way back, the squadron attacked two oil-tankers with cannon and machine-gun fire, and left one with smoke rising from it. Later, a further attack was made on the tanker, and two escorting ME. 109’s were destroyed. Jd . . Other attacks during the day by Fighter Command pilots included hitting an E-boat and machine-gun-ning a coastal radio station.—B.O.W. RAIDS ON BRITAIN. LONDON, August 6. Scattered German raiders were over the east coast of England and Scotland last night. Damage was caused at a few noints, but the num—ber of casualties was small. RUGBY, August G. An Air Ministry and Home Security communique states: Air activity has been very slight, to-day. Only one aircraft crossed our coast. No bombs were dropped. PALACE AND COTTAGE. (Rec. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 6. While the King and Queen were inspecting the bomb damage at Hull, one woman said to the King: I am still living in my cottage, although all the windows are out.” The King replied: “So are mine, at Buckingham Palace.”