R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 July 1942, Page 6

R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

GERMAN YARDS BOMBED FIGHTERS OVER N. FRANCE LONDON, July 20. Royal Air Force four-engined bombers were over north-west Germany last night. The main target was a submarine-building base on the Weser, a few miles north-west of Bremen. Three British bombers are missing. RUGBY, July 20. An Aiii’ Ministry communique states: In Northern France on Monday afternoon, many squadrons of Spitfires made low-level attacks on a large number of enemy objectives. One of our fighters is missing. Bostons attacked a power station in the Mazingarbe district. In the evening, Wellingtons attached objectives in North-west Germany. All returned safely. The Air Ministry News Service disclosed that nearly 200 Spitfires took part in the afternoon Fighter sweep. Factories, gun posts, Army bilelts, trains, and a radio station were among the targets attacked. During the whole operation, very few enemy aircraft were seen. The Wellington attack was the fourth daylight bombing raid on objectives in Germany, in the last five days. RAID ON ENGLAND. LONDON, July 20. No enemy aircraft were reported over Britain in daylight on Sunday. A lone raider swooped from the clouds early on Saturday, dropped a stick of bombs on a town in East Anglia, and then machine-gunned several streets. The bombs damaged property and caused some casualties.

CHELMSFORD WORKS BOMBED

(Recd. 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, July 20

Berlin radio claims that the%Luftwaffe heavily attacked and scored direct hits oh important industrial works near Chelmsford (Essex). R.A.F. STAFF TRAINING.

RUGBY, July 20

Training for offensive action for the non-operational section of the R.A.F. has been introduced by the R.A.F. and Army Co-operation Command, and clerical workers, fitters, armourers, and others, are being put through a gruelling assault course. The majority of the men undergoing this training are from sedentary civilian occupations, but’they are enjoying the training, and declare it makes them fitter than ever they felt before. The course includes negotiation of obstacles they could expect to meet in the field such as shell pits, ditches, entanglements and pallisades. If they are slow in getting through the obstacles they are helped on by harmless bombs. Air Marshal Barratt has expressed approval of the progress made and the enthusiasm shown. RUSSIANS BOMB PRUSSIA. ' RUGBY, July 20. The Moscow radio states: A few days ago, a large force of Soviet planes, under difficult, unfavourable weather conditions, attacked military and industrial installations in the capital of East Prussia, Koenigsberg. Thirty-eight fires broke out, and a large number of explosions took place. In the centre of the town alone, there were 17 fires, two of: them large. All the planes returned safely.