BALKANS AIR WAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20526, 9 April 1941, Page 8

BALKANS AIR WAR

BRITISH RAIDS NAZI CONCENTRATIONS STARTING OF FIRES CLAIMS BY GERMANS (Eke. Tel. Copy] ight— United Press Assn. ißecci. April 9. 1.40 p.m.) LONDON. April 3. A communique issued by Royal Air Force Headquarters in ihe MiddleEast states: — "In tiie Balkans, German military concentrations were heavily attacked by Royal Air Force aircraft during the night at various places in Bulgaria. The railway station at Gorna Djumaya was bombed and several fires were .starved. At Simitly concentrations were attacked, bomb.; straddling the •.ailway and road and exploded near the sheds causing many fires. A motor transport convoy was also successfully machine-gunned.

"Petrich was raided by our bombers, but the full results could not be observed owing to the smoke from Humorous fires burning in that area. “Yesterday, in bad weather conditions, bombers escorted by fighters attacked large motor transport concentrations near Strumica just inside Yugoslavia. Direct hits were registered and much damage was caused..’’ Damage at Piraeus An Athens communique says that further important damage resulted to Piraeus through tire explosion of a ship laden with ammunition after yesterday’s raid on the port. The Italians bombed rural districts. Only insignificant: damage was caused.

A German communique states: “Despite countless difficulties of terrain and the destruction of roads the German troops in the attack on the Yugoslav and Greek fronts successfully’ continued to face stubborn resistance. Waves of German planes attacked military objectives iwthin the fortress of Belgrade. New large fires were caused among sheds and installations of the main railway station. Other bombers destroyed railway bridges, stations and lines in the River Sava area. Transport and goods trains were hit." Five Raids in Day

The Bremen radio declared that the Luftwaffe twice raided Belgrade yesterday. making five raids since ’ the

outbreak of the conflict. New fires were started in barracks, fortifications and defence positions. The Berlin radio claims that 117 enemy planes wer destroyed on the Balkan front in the past 48 hours. A Budapest message states that main line passenger traffic on the Hungarian railways is curtailed owing to extraordinary circumstances. Airraid warnings were sounded in several Hungarian towns.