WAR IN THE AIR

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 May 1942, Page 5

WAR IN THE AIR

RAID ON MANNHEIM. LONDON, May 20. Before the Royal Air Force attacks on Germany reach their peak, Britain will be sending 1000 bombers a night over German territory. This was stated officially in London to-night. This great force is well within Britain’s powers, and aerodromes are available for this number of bombers, and as many more as Britain can get. There is no shortage of aviation petrol. Last night, the bomber offensive against Germany was resumed, after a break for bad weather, with a heavy attack on Mannheim, the great German industrial centre and port. Britain’s latest types of heavy bombers were used—Stirlings, Halifaxes, Lancasters, and Manchesters. One group of Stirlings dropped 40,000 incendiaries and left great fires raging. Heavy high explosive bombs burst among the factories. It was Mannheim’s fifty-fourth raid. The city is crowded with factories of all kinds, and it is the distributing centre for coal for Italy. While one force was attacking Mannheim last night, another attacked the Nazi submarine base at St. Nazaire, and fighters attacked aerodromes in France and Holland. Spitfires of the 2nd American Eagle Squadron attacked a German motor vessel, which was left listing heavily. Spitfires of the Fighter Command attacked enemy shipping in the Channel to-day. An E-boat was badly damaged and left emitting clouds of smoke, and two other enemy vessels were raked with machine-gun fire.

PRINZ EUGEN WELL DEFENDED. RUGBY, May 20. More than 50 British aircraft took part in the attack on the German 10,000-ton cruiser Prinz Eugen, off the coast of Norway on Sunday. From a tactical point of view bombing was not considered fully suitable, and the opening of the attack by bombers must therefore be considered as a diversion. It was met by strong flak and fighter defence, and was achieved at some loss. A torpedo-bomber attack was then pressed home in two successive waves. The first wave met fighters in great strength over the target and lost five aircraft. Nearly every pilei found one or two fighters on his tall when he got in. The second wave was set upon by the enemy, who was fully prepared, and was brokeen up before it could get to close range. Four aircraft were lost.

Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the Prinz Eugen was damaged, and the latest accounts of the action do not alter the belief that torpedoes scored two direct hits. The whereabouts of the Prinz Eugen are not yet known.