RAIDS ON FRANCE

Grey River Argus, 29 April 1942, Page 5

RAIDS ON FRANCE

Monday Offensive 18 ’PLANES LOST. ENEMY LOSSES’ 11. BOW. RUGBY, April 27. An official account of an R.A.F. offensive over Northern France during daylight on. Monday is given by the Air Ministry, which says: “Attacks in. strength again have been made on enemy-occupied territory to-day. Soon after dawn, Hurricanes bombed and machine-gunned enemy aerodromes at Mardyck and Le Toquet. Later in the morning, fighters maae a large scale sweep-over Northern France, and . escorted bomb-carrying Hurricanes, which attacked aerodromes . near St. Omer. In the afternoon, Boston, bombers attacked targets at Lille and Ostend. Strong fighter escorts accompanied bombers on .these raids. In the evening, fighters made another sweep over Northern France. In the course of the day, enemy fighters were destroyed,’’ ten’ by our fighters and one by a Boston bomber. Two bombers and 16 Of our fighters were lost, but one fighter pilot is safe in this country.’ - In a-sweep later in the afternoon —the' fighters’ sixth, offensive of the day—the enemy did not come-up to Whipping off the French coast was attacked ‘ by. the Royal Air Force at night. A German bomber was shot down off the east coast of Britain this morning. . •< Three enemy fighters were shot down in the day’s operations over Northern France, and the Royal A ir Force lost two. . . One of- the German fighters destroyed was shot down by Squadron Leader Brendan Finucane over St. Omer. This made his sixth victory since he - came out of hospital a month ago and brought his total of confirmed victories to 31. He is now No. 2 ace of the Fighter Command, No. 1 being the South African, Wing Commander D. F. Malan, who has 35 confirmed victories. » Another of the German fighters was shot down by a New. Zealand pilot. ; Boston bombers and .bomb-carry-ing Hurricanes took part in these operations, in the course' of which, attacks were made on targets at Lille, Ostend, and on enemy aerodromes. It is known that ten enemy fighters have been destroyed, nine by.’our fighters, and one by a Boston. Two of our bombers and nine fighters, ar,e missing.. . , ? < Following, dawn attacks on enemy aerodromes, a.formation.of over./a hundred Spitfires swept unchallenged pver a large area of Norther ll France this morning.- Later, Hurricanes bombed an aerodrome pear St. Omer, and Bostons were, escorted to ■targets,’ at Ostend and; Lille. In a Hurricane bombing sweep, nine F.W. 190’s were destroyed, five tof these falling .to . the first American Eagle squadron. This squadron was covering * the bombing. . For about ten minutes, the sky was full of airernft s: 1 • ' t . ' ... .y* ’■ ■ The New -Zealand 'Spitfire ■ squadron; is taking .the - fullest part in the offensive oyer Francej’ and. the pilots are ‘ standing by ~ for ‘action, from dawn to’ ■ dyslcl.? During;the; Fighter Cowmand’s j blggest offensive ' operation. of the < w^r. ? : last?* week,, th? squadron shot down three enemy machines: . Squadron-Leader E. Welis. D.F.C, and bar, pf Cambridge, shot-down his tenth Qermgm■FlightLieutenant •) w:= V. • C Compton, D-F.C.,. of Mission raised ; 1 his score sto /five; and'a-half. Flight-Lieu-tenant ; .T. C R. C. Kifian, of .Christchurch,: bagged his first. Pilot-Of-

fleer J. -Palmer,, of Havelock North, got another probable. This score resulted -.from a dog-fight with Fockewulf 190. Pilot-Officer D. J. Scdtt, of, Greymbuth, has been awarded the D.F.C. A new' British incendiary bomb, nicknamed-the Bidon (can), capable of causing widespread destruction of buildings and forests, is dropped by parachute. It drifts over a wide arpa, .and -is- very -difficult to extinguish.- because of the phosphorous content. .... Cologne Raided * ’’A ■ ’ ' / (Rec. 12.0). RUGBY, April 28.? The R A.F. last night attacked Cologne. >■ . RIAI.F.' raiders’ were over Germany on: Monday: plght. "The’Times”; correspondent on the German frontier- says, that the sir >raids on Rostock, '. evoked far longer and more .' angry’ German press protests than, those on . Lubeck. : The gnpvity : of the damagg is ' Unreservedly ? admitted, but 1 the military advantage gained is unariimousjydonied. Nevertheless, the form and intensity editorial comment makes • the i. presumption ■ inescapable that the scale of-the damage to Rostock-far- exceeded evjen thatlto Lubeck??, A ■?'v;:." Tb (Rec. ‘ 12.0.) •; LONPON, April 28. ' . The Berlin radio- says that British bombers last night attacked Cologne, causing damage and casualties. . .7