R.A.F. RAIDS

Grey River Argus, 30 July 1940, Page 7

R.A.F. RAIDS

HOLLAND AND GERMANY Ships Hit off Norway [Aust. & N.Z Cabl* * s * n ' LONDON, July 28. The Air Ministry states: inc R..A.F. yesterday and last? ni 8 n ‘-’ bombed the Nordsee Canal in land barges at St Avoren, oil depots at Hamburg and Amsterdam, doUu and wharves at Wilhelmshaven ana Bremen, and eight enemy aerodromes in Holland and Germany. All ou. machines returned. We shot down an enemy fi„htex yesterday off Norway, and bombed another supply ship, which was lefsinking off the Dutch coast Further details of attacks on german supply ships reveal that an American-built Hudson aircraft ui the costal command severely damaged two supply ships, last mgnt, and bombed others. A Messerschmitt, which attempted to interfere, was shot down. The first attack was made off the Norwegian coast by a pilot who comes from Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Jhe Hudson was patrolling near Stavang: er, when the pilot saw in the distance a German supply ship. He dived on it, and dropped his bcmos. The pilot said: “As we turned away after our dive, three Messerschmitts 109’s came for us, and a few of their shots went into our tail and damaged the starboard rudder. I turned, to allow my rear-gunner to get one M-'esserschmitt into his sights. The Messerschmitt fell away, out of control, and crashed into the sea. Wo v/ere into the clouds before the other two enemy machines had time to open their attack.” An hour later, off the Dutch coast, another Hudson saw three armed supply ships. He scored a direct hit on the stern of one with a heaw bomb, and the ship appeared to be sinking. GERMAN VERSION. BERLIN, July 28. A German communique states:--British planes dropped a few bombs over northern Germany, but caused no damage. We shot down five British planes over the Channel. Two of ours are missing. A Polish Officer IMPRESSIONS OF RAID. X __ [British Official Wireless] RUGBY, July 28. A high Polish air force officer, now visiting a station in the R.A.F. bomber command, has given his impressions after being taken as a member of the crew on an operation flight over Germany. The aircraft in which he was flying was one which successfully attacked the aircraft factory at Gotha. These works are engaged in assembling Messerschmitt fighters, and raiding types, as well as in the production of heavy tanks. The Polish officer said: “The impression most strongly in my mind is the perfect collaboration of the crew. I never imagined that it could reach such a high standard. Every man* was quiet and confident. Each knew what his task was, and did it without fuss or bother. The navigation was very exact, and we were over the target practically to the minute on the estimated time of arrival-, which had been set in advance. I was astonished at that, because the weather conditions were poor. Most of the time we were flying in cloud.' 1

On the way out, the bomber shot down a Messerschmitt 109. The Polish officer said: I was sitting in the second pilot’s seat, so I could not see the engagement. It lasted only a minute or so. First I heard the sound of firing from the attacking aircraft. Then, right after that. I heard firing from our own rear guns. Then, a minute later, the pilot said to me: “One Messerschmitt reported down. Very good.” We passed north of the Ruhr. The fire and searchlights there were very strong but the pilot was all the time varying his course, speed, and height, so we were not hit. After we had bombed the aircraft factory, he turned to observe the effect of the attack. I saw several bright fires which we had started. The preceding bomber also had started two or three pres among the buildings. I was very

glad tc have the opportunity of taking part in this raid, for I have seen something of what the Germans have done to us, in my own country.

GERMAN RADIO PICTURE.

OF AIR RAID EFFECTS,

RUGBY, July 28.

The effect of the British air raids on the German populace was indicated by a speaker over the Berlin radio when he described, evidently from personal experience, the effects of an air raid.

He said that the attack on Britain had been postponed so that the people could know the dreadful suspense of not knowing exactly when the “terrible hell” would burst on them from the skies. He went on to say that villagers in England lived in constant fear of raid raids, and he painted a lurid word-picture of the horrors of air attacks, with thousands of engines roaring overhead, the crash and scream of bombs, the hurrying fire-engines, machine-gun fire, and the cries of civilians. The belief that the German announcer was speaking from personal experience is strengthened by the story told by a Swedish sailor, who was interviewed on his return to a Baltic port after his vessel had visited Germany. He said that his vessel had been in harbour for three weeks, and during that time air-raid alarms sounded every night. The damage done to the harbour was fearful. On one occasion the attack came so swiftly that no alarm could be sounded. One night, an aircraft factory a short distance away had its roof swept away by intense bombing, and later, after a raid lasting an hour and a-half, was reduced to a flaming ruin. GERMAN ALLEGATION RED CROSS PLANE DOWNED. BERLIN, July 23. A German communique says: The British shot down an unarmed German seaplane, marked with the Red Cross, when the German was attempting to save the crew of a plane which was forced down in the sea. BRITISH AIR CASUALTIES. LONDON. Julv 28. The Air Ministry’s fortieth casualty list gives the names of 300 men of whom 25 officers and 74 rankers were killed or are presumed to oe killed; 23 officers and 138 rankers are missing.