RAIDS ON ENEMY CENTRES

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 October 1941, Page 5

RAIDS ON ENEMY CENTRES

BRITISH LOSSES HEAVY LONDON, October 28. Fighters of the Royal Air Force carried out sweeps over Northern France and the Belgian coast yesterday. Enemy ships and barges were attacked as well as land targets. Two enemy seaplanes were destroyed and three enemy fighters were shot down in combat. A convoy off the Dutch coast was also attacked and two enemy bombers were shot down off the east coast. From these operations, two Blenheim bombers and nine fighters are missing.

British aeroplanes also raided the German seaplane base at Ostend yesterday. Beaufort aircraft of the Coastal Command on patrol, bombed a German supply ship of medium size off the Norwegian coast on Sunday night and left it burning fiercely, states the Air Ministry News Service. The Beaufort attacked from mast height with bombs, while the rear gunner swept the vessel with machine-gun fire. As the aircraft flew away, whitish smoke from the ship was just visible in the darkness. However, it began to glow, then flames burst out and were still visible 25 miles away. LATER. It is now known that three more enemy fighters—making the total six —were destroyed by R.A.F. fighters in yesterday’s sweeps. MORE ENEMY LOSSES. RUGBY, October 28. An Air Ministry communique states: During patrols over the Channel and northern France, to-day, our fighters destroyed two enemy fighters in combat. Barges and other targets in the Dunkirk area were attacked, and an enemy fighter was destroyed on the ground at Berck aerodrome. Coastal Command Hudsons bombed an enemy convoy off Terschelling, early this morning. None of ours is missing. There is nothing to report in respect of enemy activity over Britain last night, or to-day. HAMBURG CASUALTIES.

(Recd. 11.10 a.m.) BERLIN, Oct. 28. The Hamburger Fremdenblatt” says that many are injured or missing. as a result of the R.A.F. terror raid on Hamburg on October 26.

VISIT TO NANTES.

RUGBY, October 28.

How the people of Nantes heard the message of hope of ultimate deliverance for France, when a force of Beauforts of the Coastal Command flew low over the city, is described by the Air Ministry. The town is surrounded by German troops, and there are 50 hostages in prison there, awaiting execution. British aircraft dropped high explosives and incendiaries on the docks, where tires were started, and distributed thousands of leaflets to citizens. Sometimes, lights came from doors suddenly flung open. Sometimes houses were lit up as though black-out curtains had been torn aside from the windows. “At one place.” said a pilot,” we saw a V sign laid out on the ground, with oil lamps. There was one house where a door opened and someone inside flashed ail the lights quickly on and off, until we had gone over.” The Beauforts flew so low on the way in that one pilot had to pull his aircraft up sharply to avoid the sand dunes.

R.A.F. IN ICELAND. LONDON, October 27. The aeronautical correspondent of “The Times” says the Coastal Command has spread its wings all round Iceland with a chain of big aerodromes for land aeroplanes and moorings in the fjords for seaplanes and flyingboats. Small townships of Royal Air Force huts have been established m the loneliest places. Royal Air Force lorries maintain communication with the most remote outposts. The Icelandic unit is a big and important part of the Coastal Command which is playing a valuable part in the Battle of the Atlantic. FUNERAL HOAX. (Rec. noon). LONDON, October 28. Unable to find the bodies of two air-raid victims in time for the funeral, two men filled the coffins with sand, after which the funeral service was held and the burial was performed without the relations being aware of the hoax. There was a sequel at Liverpool to-day, when

Michael Daly, manager of a firm of undertakers, and John Murnagnan, formerly a clerk, and at present a soldier, were bound over for two years, for causing a false entry in the burial register. . c j The prosecutor said that defendants mad Q a considerable effort to find the bodies. The search continued till the funerals were overdue and the relations were waiting. There was no evidence that the defendants had any motive but to spare the relations pain.