R.A.F. RAIDS

Grey River Argus, 25 January 1943, Page 3

R.A.F. RAIDS

RUHR, FRANCE AND BELGIUM

[Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.]

LONDON, January 22. Factories in the Ruhr were the targets for last night’s Royal Air Force bombing raid. Large fires were started but other results were obscured by cloud. The Germans admit damage in western Germany. Four of our planes are missing.

A few hours earlier Bostons bombed the harbour of Cherbourg, starting fires, while other forces attacked docks in the Low Countries. Spitfires made low-level strafing sweeps. Three Allied aircraft are missing. It is officially stated that early last night a few enemy aircraft dropped bombs on places near the coast of south-east England. There were no casualties and only slight damage. [British Official Wireless], RUGBY, January 22. An Air Ministry communique states that offensive operations on a large scale were carried out early this afternoon over Northern France and Belgium. The Bomber Command attacked oil installations at Terneuzen, near Ghent, and airfields at Maupertus, in the Cherbourg Peninsula. Abbeville and St. Omer. Many squadrons of the R.A.F., U.S.A.A.F. Dominion, and Allied 1 ' fighters also participated. Six of our fighters are missing. Soon after mid-day to-day an R.A.A.F. Hampden scored a torpedo hit on & n enemy supply ship off Stavanger' (Norway). 27 Railway Engines ATTACKED IN FRANCE BY R.A.F. (Rec. 7.30.); RUGBY, Jan. 23. The Air Ministry News Service stated: Mustangs of the Army Co-op-eration Command had another successful day’s operations over Northern France. Pilots of one squadron hit seventeen locomotives and attacked three more with unobserved results. In fifty minutes, one section of the squadron inflicted many casualties on a company of German troops. It attacked six trains and saw hn on all engines attacked. Two large barges, a dredger, and three tun. were set on fire. Pilots of other Mustangs over France brought the total of railway engines attacked to twenty-seven. Medium bombers took part in daylight operations on Friday afternoon. RAIDS ON BERLIN. TESTING NAZI AIR STRENGTH. 1 (Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, Jan. 22. The bombing of Berlin has begun a new phase in air warfare in the European theatre. The intention ot the Royal Air Force raids, in addition to striking at German industry, is to attempt to divert the Luftwaffe from Russia and other theatres and against Britain, thereby also testing the Luftwaffe’s strength. In numbers, tne German raid on London was paltry compared W'ith the blitz days, and rar below the strength of the night bombing attacks by the R.A.F. against Germany. It is therefore interesting to see how' the Luftwaffe next switched to daylight lighter-bombers. It is known that there is a tairly large force of lighters kept in western Europe to counter the R.A.F. sweeps and daylight combings and it is also used for night fighting. ft seems likely that the limited bomber force had a bad mauling over London and that many were probably damaged or crash-landed in addition to those shot down arid that, therefore, to maintain propaganda, the Luitwaffe switched to lighter-bombers. (Rec. 6.30.) LONDON. Jan. 23. American-built Mitchell B. 25 medium bombers yesterday for the first time participated with the Royal Air Force in Britain in the Bomber Command’s daylight ooerations. The Americans used B. 25’s for bombing Tokio. .. The Press Association’s aeronautical correspondent points out that wit' the Mosquito, Bisley, Ventura, Boston, and now the Mitchell ’planes, the British-American air offensive now possesses the finest quintette of light and medium bombers in the world. FLEET AIR ARM. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec 9.40.) LONDON, Jan. 22. The “Daily Mail’s” aviation correspondent, says: “Admiralty appointthe Admiralty’s approach to the use ments indicate a historic change in of air power at sea. They are most important regarding both the direction of the navy in air and sea warfare, and the vital task of ensuring that’ th e Fleet Air Arm gets proper flying equipment. Both Admiral Boyd and Air Marshal Portal know the sea and shipbuilding. Admiral Bovd knows what carriers can do. Air Marshal Portal knows what 'prunes can do. The Admiralty fWeviouslv has not escaped' the criticism that, if its aircraft were unsuitable they were what the Admiralty ordered. N.Z. FARMER PILOTS. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 9.50.) LONDON. Jan. 23. The Fighter Command’s leading New Zealand Spitfire squadron has nine ex-farmer pilots. The leader is Squadron-Leader R. J, C. Grant, who has destroyed seven enemy ’planes, besides others probably destroyed and damaged. The squadron includes only one non-New Zealander, an Australian. One ex-farmer member, from Waikaka Valley, Sergeant L. S. McQueen-White, claims a world’s record for sheep' shearing. ne_ having shorn four and thirty-two sheep in eight and a-half hours. Not all of the nine farmers came from the land to join the R.A.F. Some already had for'esaken agriculture. One became an electrical engineer for a gold mine. Another was a gold miner farmer, teacher and a commercial artist and he was preparing to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree when the war interrupted his studies. After joining the Royal Air Force he sei *y* ed in Rhodesia, where he won the Rhodesian Midland's lightweight boxing title. Two of the sheep farmers are from Hawke’s Bay. The otheis are from the Canterbury Plains. The squadron has destroyed, thirty-two 'planes. The average age of the squadron’s personnel is twenty-four years.' , 1