KIEL AGAIN BOMBED

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1943, Page 5

KIEL AGAIN BOMBED

U.S.A. EFFECTIVE ATTACK

FIRES IN U-BOAT YARDS

RUGBY, May 19. Returning to the scene of their successes last Friday, American heavy bombers to-day attacked _in force an enemy-U-boat nest at Kiel, while another formation of heavy bombers was pounding the nearby shipbuilding and submarine yards at Flensburg. Eoth targets were peppered with incendiaries after heavy explosives had been dropped, and were left in flames. The bombers were unescorted. It is officially stated that they met stiff opposition from enemy fighters, many of which were destroyed. Six bombers are missing. American Thunderbolt fighters carried out a diversionary sweep in force. Some enemy formations were sighted, but for the second successive day the enemy showed no inclination to close. . . j , The heaviest weight of rn-day s two-pronged attack was thrown against Kiel. Last Friday American bombers wrought great destruction in the shipyard there, which is now almost wholly devoted to U-boat construction. To-day’s target was the nearby base, employing several thousand workers. It has facilities lor constructing all types of naval craft, but its yards are also now’ devoted to building long-range submarines and major repairs for the German und-er-sea fleet. Its floating dry docks are the largest in Germany. A heavy smoke-screen was put up over Kiel, but clear weather gave sufficient visibility to permit good bombing and to 'observe that the target was left in flames. Meanwhile, some 40 miles northwest of Kiel, another formation was pounding the shipbuilding yards oi Flensburg. These have five large slips, some 700 feet long, capable ol housing a number of large submarAt Kiel bursts were observed throughout the area. A following group dumped incendiaries into tne wreckage caused by the bombs, and almost immediately fires were seen through the smokescreen, burning fiercely in the centre oi the tai to et area.

MOSQUITOES OVER BERLIN

LONDON,- May 20. Mosquitoes of the Royal Air Force were over Berlin again last night. Other Mosquitoes attacked targets in enemy-occupied territory. All the ancraft returned. The Air Ministry reports that in a sweep over Northern France this evening, our Royal Air Force fighteis destroyed an enemy fighter. One British aircraft is missing from an aliensivc patrol this morning. ATTACK~ON TRAINS

RUGBY, May 20

Describing some of last night s intruder operations over enemyoccupied territory, the Air- Mims try savs: During one four-hour patrol by an Australian Mosquito pilot ano. ms British observer, seven trams were shot up, in the course of a thousunumile round trip which carried uiein some 250 miles into France, to C halons sur Marne and Nancy. Ihe observer said the Germans were try ing to run a lot of heavy war u aterials on the railway lines between those two places. They were ' ital transport links, but were becoming costly. , _ Further proof of the German aniety over the constant attacks on trains was shown last night when another Mosquito was greeted with fierce A.A. fire from behind- the engine as the aircraft approacned tne train. It is officially stated that no R.A.F. planes were lost in last night’s operations over Europe, including the Mosquito raid on Berlin.

RUHR POWER

(Recd. 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, May 20. German newspapers publish decrees reducing power consumption by businesses and public concerns by almost one-third, reports the British United Press’s Stockholm correspondent. This is concrete evidence of the effect of the breaching of the Eder and Mohne dams. The announcement does not mention the darns, merely stating that the economies follow increasing demands for power from war factories.

WAR CABINET'S MESSAGE

RUGBY. May 18

‘■The War Cabinet has instructed me to convey to all who shared in the preparation and execution of Sunday night’s operations—particularly to Wing Commander Gibson and his squadron —their congratulations on the great success achieved,” said the Secretary of State for Air (Sir Archibald Sinclair) in a message to the Chief of the Bomber Command (Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris). -‘That the attack was pressed home in the face of strong resistance is a testimony alike to the tactical resource and energy of those who planned it, to the gallantry and determination of the air crews, and to the excellence of British design and workmanship. The War Cabinet has noted with satisfaction the damage done to German war power.”

RAIDS ON BRITAIN

LONDON, May 20

A lew enemv aircraft were over Britain last night. Bombs were dropped, causing slight damage and a small number of casualties. Soon after midnight the Thames Estuary antiaircraft guns were in action for a short time against high-flying enemy raiders. No bombs were dropped. There were two alerts in the London area, gunfire being heard during the second. A member of a British searchlight crew, broadcasting from the 8.8. C., provided a possible explanation of at least one of the two explosions Londoners heard during German raids on two recent nights. He said that a raider was caught in searchlight beams and shortly after mysteriously vanished from sight and sound. A few seconds later there was a terrific bang. He presumed the aeroplane blew up in the air.

The Berlin radio quoting a military spokesman says the present air-raids on London are only a prelude to things to come. Germany intends to retaliate for the attacks against the German civil population. The Luftwaffe attacks will be more devastating than in 1940.

RUGBY, May 20. Germany is to be bombed, not only round the clock but round the map as well. Mr Eden described, to-day, how the Allied Forces were growing steadily stronger all the time, and will bomb German targets ceaselessly night and day, hour by hour, the British and Americans from the West and the Russians from the East. He promised that Mussolini would not be forgotten either.

LONDON, May 20

The ’National Farmers’ Union invited two representatives from farmers’ organisations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa to visit Britain in the Autumn to see Britain’s war effort and discuss wartime agricultural policy. Lord Mildmay at a meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society Council presented Mr. Jordan and Mr. Bruce with honorary membership diplomas and badges.