R.A.F. ATTACKS

Grey River Argus, 27 April 1942, Page 6

R.A.F. ATTACKS

IN THE BALTIC Bombing of Rostock HEINKEL WORKS DAMAGED. [British Official Wirffiessi (Rec. 6.30). RUGBY, April 25. The Fighter Command made six major offensive sweeps within eleven hours, commencing early on Saturday morning. They ranged over a 250 mile front from Dunkirk to Cherbourg. An Air Ministry communique, reviewing these activities, says: “During the morning lighters escorted Boston Bombers to Cherbourg and Dunkirk, and Hurricane Bombers to Calais. Five enemy bombers were destroyed during the Dunkirk attack. In the afternoon Bostons were escorted to Le Havre and Abbeville, and a lighter sweep was made over' Cherbourg Penisula. Enemy lighters were encountered in strength over Abbeville, and there were many combats. Three enemy lighters were destroyed, making a total of eight during the day. From all these operations one of our bombers and fifteen lighters are missing. The enemy fighters’ opposition | was the heaviest that Spitfires have encountered this year, and the fiercest lighting occurred mostly at ! a height of five miles. The lead- ■ ers of the two Spitfire wings report- [ ed tremendous fighting at these * heights, with mixed of Messerschmitts 109 and Fockewulfs' 190. Elsewhere, dogfighting was so fierce that few R.A.F. pilots could see the end of their victims. During the morning attack oyer Dunkirk, one Polish Spitfire wing destroyed five Fockewulfs 190 without loss. Three of the victims fell to one squadron, which also damaged two others. The R.Ai.F., in contrasit, made a heavy attack on the German Baltic port of Rostock for the second night, in succession. The first attack on ■the previous night was a devastating raid, comparable with that on Lubeck. Widespread fires were left, and great damage was done. A strong attacking force comprised Stirlings, Whitleys, Wellingtons, Hampdens, Manchesters and Lancasters. Huge fires flßged across the ■port—where shipbuilding yards turn out small naval . craft, including submarines —and in the large Hemthe second raid, the weather | was clear and heavy bombs were | dropped on the Heinkel aircraft works and the Neptune Shipyards, where large fires, left burning docks Four British planes are missing from these operations. Dunkirk and airfields of France and the Low Countries were also attacked during the night by bomber and fighter commands, while Hudsons of the Coastal Command bombed an enemy supply ship off Norway and iton fire. From these operations. two bombers and one fighter "^lt^as' lieen revealed that at least four ffiSndSd tons, of high sives and incendiaries were <-™PPed on Rostock in two nights Attacks in last night’s raid are believed to ave been made by at least as many Smbers as on the Previous night, which was described as over mastering concentration of homo 61 Thus the review of R - A -J p ° tions during the . P ast nf hmir’s elves sumo of the P an« range of Britain’s mowi 'ofSAranahig far over Germany, to fight [“rendSilng tierce sweeps over and across the Channel. SEVERITY OF ROSTOCK RAIDS. (Rec. 10.20.) "LONDON April In the two consecutive night ra d on Rostock the German Balti British Dianes dropped four hundred tons of bombs. A bright new helped last night’s raiders to b.ast the Heinkel Ajrcra.ft Works and tnc Neptune Shipyards, where large Ines were left burning. Fighter Command nla.nes last nignt attacked airfields in France and tne Low countries. A Coastal Command Hudson, patrolling off the Norwegian Coast, bombed and set fire to an enerjy supply ship. Two bombers and one fighter were missing from these operations. Large scale offensive operations

were carried out out on Saturday over Northern France. Squadrons oi fighters in the morning escorted Bostons rto Cherbourg and Dunkirk, where the docks were bombed. They also escorted Hurri bombers to Calais, where a factory was bombed and five enemy fighters were destroyed. During the Dunkirk attack Bostons in the afteroon went to Le Havre and Abberville, where they created great devastation on docks and railway yards. German newspapers rerer to the “treacherous night attack on cultural monuments and houses in Rostock,” stating that “churches, hospital's, and threatres were among the buildings hit.” One paper complains that the R.A.F. has become impregnated with methods of Bolshevist warfare. < (Rec. 12.35) LONDON. April 26. Berlin admits that the R.A.F. raids on Rostock caused considerable damage to houses and a heavy death roll. LONDON,, April 23. A Stockholm report states that a fierce anti-aircraft barrage was put up when two waves of unidentified ’planes flew over Copenhagen last night. Fifty persons were taken to hospital, suffering from shock or injuries caused by shell splinters. Hundreds of guns of all sizes went into action. Streets -and roofs were damaged. (Special to Press Assn.) LONDON, April 241 The New Zealand Bomber Squadron took part in the big raid against Rostock. Squadron Leader R. J. Newton, of Christchurch, led the squadron. All the aircraft returned safety. S'qua’dron-Leader Olson said: “It was a very successful show.’ 1 ’ BALTIC SHIPPING DISLOCATED. (Rec. 10.20.) BERNE, April 26. Neutral engineers who visited Lubeck after the Royal Air Force raid state that traffic up the Baltic to Lubruck has completely ceased, and ships are forced to use Stettin. Cross-Channel Raids NINE ’PLANES LOST. (Rec. 7.55.) LONDON, April 25. The Air Ministry, m a communique, stated: On Friday afternoon, a strong fighter escort, attacked shipyards and other targets in docks at Flushing. Our fighters also made sweeps over the coast of Northern France.

“Five enemy aircraft were destroyed. Niiip of our fighter ’planes are missing. N.Z. SQUADRON’S SUCCESS. LONDON, April 24. During a sweep over Northern France to-day, a New Zealand Fighter Squadron, without loss, shot down three Fockewulfe 190’s. The Squadron Commander and two Flight Commanders bagged one each. FURTHER AIR ACTIVITY. (Rec. 10.20.) LONDON, April 26. Large forces of R.A.F. bombers and fighters were this morning seen heading for Belgium and France. Two German ’planes made a hit and run raid on a southeastern district. They dropped bombs and then ma-chine-gunned the countryside from a hundred feet for several miles, while returning to the coast. Three raiders were destroyed over 'Britain overnight.

LONDON, April 23. Bombers of the Royal Air Force were over Germany and Germanoccupied territc zy last night. Full details have not yet been issued, but it is known flat the targets includ.ed objectives in the Rhineland. Four aircraft are missine.

An Air Minisry communiuqe states that Royal Air Force fighters made an offensive sweep over Cherbourg Peninsula yesterday afternoon. Hurricane bombers which took part attacked an enemy aerodrome. None of the British aircraft is missing. A few enemy aircraft were over a coalstal area in southern England last night. The tombs which were dropped did no harm. An A : r Ministry communique states: Our bombers last night attacked objectives at Boulogne and Le Havre. Four of our aircraft are says: D u ring the first missing.

An Air Ministry bulletin says: During the first three months of this year, 105 .enemy aircroft were dec stroyed by the R.A.F. Fighter Command and anti-aircraft gunners—9o in daylight and 15 at night.

The Fighter wommand bosses in this pemou were 61 aircraft, two ol the pilots being sale. LONDON, April 20. Although tie. weather on Monday was unsuitable for extensive operations, t is learned in London that British fighters made an offensive sweep over the Cherbourg peninsula in the afternoon, witnout f‘oss. Watchers on the Kent coast saw a formation oi’ fighters coming in across ithe Channel. They also reported that they saw a big force of bombers, heading towards Dunkirk and Calais. No official news of the attack has been received. Speaking in Di.ndee, Mr Dingle Foot, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry oi Economic Warfare, said that aircraft of *the Royal Air Force Coastal C ommand had flown more than 0,000,000 miles during the war and durinp - the last two years had escorted 7000 convoys by making 55000 operational sorties. The “Dailv Mail” aeronautical correspom’ent says: Germany is being forced to withhold powerful a’.r forces from other war theatres to meet the new R.A.F. offensive in Europe. The Russians’ recent marked air successes were due in no small part to the British pressure in ehe The great German air forces based in the Mediterranean for the Spring drive to Suez are still held immobile. A high official described (he RAF raid on Lubeck, on March 28 as the greatest single reverse the Germans had suffered in the Russian war for weeks. Everything suggests that an enormous amount of war materiel awaiting shipment across the Baltic to the German armies m Russia? was destroyed in the inferno that swept Lubeck. . M Sheferis, former Greek Minister at Budapest, on his arrival at Istanbul, en route to Cairo said British bombings are creating a devastcfn'T impression throughout Western “Germany, and thousands of the more-prosperous Germans are movin'" from vulnerable points to BuctaI nest and Vienna, where the hotels are overflowing. Many- factories are i being moved, particularly to Prague [and Vienna.