MANNHEIM RAIDED

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1942, Page 5

MANNHEIM RAIDED

INDUSTRIAL WORKS HIT SWEEPS OVER N. FRANCE LONDON, May 20. The Royal Air Force last night resumed its attacks on military objectives in Germany, when a powerful force heavilv bombed the great inland port of Mannheim, where there are many important factories and engineering works. The submarine base at St. Nazaire was also raided. The last night raid on objectives in Germany was on May 8, and the hm is believed to have been caused by unfavourable weather. The Air Ministry reports: “In a sweep over Northern France on Tuesday afternoon our fighters destroyed three German fighters. In another sweep late in the evening Hurricane bombers attacked railway communications near St. Omer. A fourth German fighter was destroyed in this operation.

“Four of our aeroplanes are missing, but the pilot of one is safe. - The Air Ministry states: A powerful force of bombers, last night, heavily bombed objectives at Mannheim, the second largest inland port in Europe. It has a number of important factories, including the Badische aniline works, Lanz armament works, and Daimler-Benz engineering works. The Germans say that R.A.F. incendiaries and high explosives damaged residential quarters in several towns in south-western Germany.

N.Z. PILOT’S FURTHER SUCCESS

RUGBY, May 20

An enemy aircraft shot down over Holland, last night, was destroyed single-handed by a twenty-four-years-old New Zealand fighter pilot, says the Air Ministry News Service. A thick haze over the Dutch coast made navigation difficult, but the pilot located an enemy aerodrome, which was the objective, and circled it at a height of one thousand feet. Just below him, he saw a twin engined aircraft, with navigation lights on, preparing to land. He manoeuvred himself into position and flying slightlv above, and about a hundred yards " behind the enemy aircraft, gave it three two-second bursts, and the enemy pilot crashed about a hundred yards from the aerodrome flare path The New Zealander, who comes from Ashburton, has taken part in numerous night attacks on enemy aerodromes, and at the beginning^of this month, was awarded the D.F.C. for “great skill and exceptional devotion.” , The Air Ministry states: Singlehanded, the New Zealander, Desmond Scott, shot down a German plane ovei Holland last night. Thick naze made navigation difficult, but Scott found the enemy aerodrome which was the objective. He circled over the aerodrome, and saw a twin-engined plane with navigation lights, preparing to land. Scott overshot at his first attempt. He lowered the landing flaps of his wing in order to reduce speed, and when 600 yards behind the enemy machine, gave it three two-second bursts. Scott said: “Almost immediately, the interior,, of the enemy plane lit up with a pinkish glow. The Hun pilot took no evasive action, but crashed downward about a hundied yards from the flare path. He seemed to overturn completely, and a lew moments later, there was a tower of smoke..” RAIDS ON ENGLAND

LONDON, May 20. Over Britain, the Luftwaffe made its first night attack for 11 nights, the main objective being a town in the north-east of England. The raid was short, but there were a number of casualties and some damage was caused. Bombs dropped elsewhere caused little damage and few casualties.

LATER

The enemy air raid on a northeast coast town last night was severe. The raiders, in spite of heavy antiaircraft fire, dive-bombed after dropping incendiaries. There were casualties, some fatal, in residential districts. Rescuers at mid-day were still attempting to extricate seven people who were buried under debris when working-class flats were hit.

GERMAN VERSION

(Rec. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 20. A German communique states that the Luftwaffe last night dropped explosives and incendiaries on the port area of Hull, starting several fires. Light bombers attacked factories on the English south coast. FAMILY WIPED OUT LONDON, May 19. One of the war’s greatest personal tragedies was revealed when a man, responding to a request of the War Graves Commission for details about his daughter, brought complete records showing that his daughter and 22 other members of the family had ail been killed by the same bomb in an East End air-raid. He was the sole survivor. The names of the family, with more than 42,000 others, will appear on the commission’s register ol civilian war dead.

COMPARATIVE PRODUCTION.

(Recd. 10.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, May 20

J. Carlton Ward, President of the Fairchild Engine Airplane Corporation, told the National Metal Trades Association to-day, that the following aircraft production figures were based on sufficient authority to give them validity. Germany: 2,900; Italy, 700; Japan, 500. Total to Axis, 4,100. United States, 3,300; Britain 2,400; Russia, 2900. Total United Nations, B,GOO. All monthly. Mr. Ward said the American plane production would pass the 5000 monthly in time to make good Mr. Roosevelt’s prediction of 60,000 a year.

OTTAWA CONFERENCE

OTTAWA, May 20

The New Zealand High Commissioner (Mr. Langstone) said the air training plan was already an unqualified success. Canada could justifiably be proud of her administration. "School graduates had already won glory on every front, but the effort would have to go forward with greater energy, scope, and sacrifice if necessary to make the Allied forces stronger than the enemy. Mr. Langstone made a special plea for complete co-operation and co-ordination of fighting strength. He said New Zealand was ready to co-operate to the full extent possible. CLIPPER SERVICES. OTTAWA, May 20. A Pacific clipper left a maritime Canadian airport, to-day, for Britain, over the northern route, for the first scheduled flight on this route since the route’s discontinuance at the outbreak of the war in 1939. The flight inaugurates a schedule of two round trips weekly, between Britain and the United States. The Pan-American clipper service across the Atlantic entered the fourth year to-day. It has carried 18.647 passengers, on 673 flights, a total of 3,161,959 miles, without the loss of a sinsle life.