FLYING BOMB

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 June 1944, Page 6

FLYING BOMB

COUNTER-MEASURES EFFECTIVE

LONDON, June 25. More flying bombs came over Southern England during last night. Damage and casualties are reported. Flying bombs crashed in Southern England early yesterday, ending a 15 hours’ lull, which was the longest bomb-free period since the attacks began. Some casualties and damage are reported. The lull coincided with a brilliant Summer day in the Straits of Dover. “Royal Air Force fighters, who have been joined by American Thunderbolts and Lightnings, have achieved great success against flying bombs, the activity of which last night (Friday) was on a much smaller scale.” says an “Evening News” correspondent on the south coast. “In one lane not one of a number of flying bombs got through the first line of defence. The world’s fastest aeroplanes—the Tempest, the Typhoon, the Spitfire, and the Mustang —are in action against the bombs. Our defences have improved out of all measure, and only a small percentage of the bombs sent out reach far inland. Swarms of fighters, on constant patrol over the Channel and the southern counties-- hunt in pairs, taking it in turn to close in and fire at the bombs, the vulnerable points of which they have discovered. Eyewitnesses of recent flying bomb incidents say that the enemy is now using missiles which glide a considerable distance after their engines have stopped.” “It is hard to get them to come home,” said Wing Commander W. V. Crawford-Compton, D. 5.0., D.F.C. and Bar, of Invercargill, leader of the French Spitfire wing, describing how Spitfire pilots patrolling the Normandy battle areas like to go off on their own looking for flying bomb nests. “We picked up one flying bomb three or four miles off shore two or three days ago,” he said. “Six I Spitfires chased it in line abreast and 1 shot it down.”

An American communique says: “Fortresses and Liberators, escorted by Thunderbolts and Mustangs, on Saturday evening, in clear weather, attacked nine installations for launching flying bombs from Pas de Calais, and also railway switching stations in the vicinity of Boulogne. This was the tenth attack carried out by the Bth Air Force against the launching ramps this week.” PILOT’S RESOURCE

(Recd. 10.10 a.m.) LONDON, June 25. An extraordinary story was told how a fighter pilot by quick thinking and cool courage, pushed a flying bomb from its course over Southern England, thereby helping to avoid serious casualties. Watchers saw three fighters attack the bomb and silence its engine. One of . the pursuing pilots then flew up to the bomb and when 'level with it tippe.d it on its side with his wing diverting it several yards. The bomb as a result dropped in the garden in the rear of an old people’s home. The blast caused some damage but none of the occupants was hurt. LATER. The pilot who deflected a flying bomb from its course was Flying Officer Kenneth Roy Gollier, of Sydney, who is an auxiliary pilot with an R.A.F. squadron. BERLIN AGAIN RAIDED. Rec. 9.25.) LONDON. June 25. Bomber Command planes, last night, attacked military installations in Northern France, says an Air Ministry communique. Mosquitoes attacked objectives in Berlin. Enemy waters were mined. Twenty-three planes are missing.

RUGBY, June 25

The recent attack by Fortresses was the most devastating blow the daylight bombers have ever struck against the German capital. Official photographs show more than thirty concentrations. Bomb bursts and large fires were widespread in an area in the heart of the city. Many important government buildings, four railway stations, five marshalling yards, and more than thirty-five separate industrial plants were damaged. In the centre of the city area, the Reich Chancellery was hit.