N.Z. SQUADRON

Grey River Argus, 3 April 1943, Page 5

N.Z. SQUADRON

Bombs Germany DOCKS AND SHIPPING DAMAGED (Snecial to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 12.5 J LONDON, April 1. The first bombers of the New Zealand Ventura Bomber Squadron are now taking their full share of/daylight raids in a round-th&-clock offensive against Germany. They flew in (a wing with Australian and English Squadrons. Twice recently the wing received messages of congratulations from the General Officer .Commanding their Group, Air Vice-Marshal J. H. Dalbiac. One message came' after the wing bombed Rotterdam docks. They scored a direct hit on a minesweeper and. an escort ship, almost putting a bomb down the funnel. They sunk a floating dock, Starting a large fire. The New Zealand Squadron also bombed Rotterdam on two successive days, Wing Commander G. B. Grindell. A.F.C., of Timaru, leading, it was* their first raid, when intense ack-ack fire was encountered. Squadron Leader L. H. Trent, D.F.C., of Nelson, led the second attack. One crew gained distinction, it being the sole all-New Zealand crew in the Squadron—others being comprised of New Zealanders, Englishmen, and Canadians —went to Rotterdam in both raids. It comprised Sergeants F. S. Stevenson and A. Sheehan, both of Auckland; M. L. S. Darrell. Morrinsville; and J. R. Lloyd, Wellington. During the first Rotterdam raid a shell exploded under the tail, Sheeh-; an said: “It made the kite skid on its nose, but nobody was harmed. The aircraft was not damaged.” The squadron raided . Dunkirk to bomb shipping. It was prevented from finding the target once by bad weather. On the second trip our bombs narrowly missed shipping. The squadron met with intense flak on both these occasions—Dunkirk being a hot spot. “Eight out of twelve aircraft were holed by flak, nevertheless all pressed .'home attacks regardless of opposition. Air Vice Marshal Dalbiac again congratulated the wing for these attacks. When New Zealanders bombed marshalling yards at Cahn, they scored a direct hit, pn engine-sheds, they cut a train in half and scored three hits on the main station, flattened 2i acres of warehouses. They bombed Abbeville marshalling yards twice, and an oil refinement at Maasluis. That! trip will be remembered by Sergeant R. R. W. Pye of Auckland who was making his first raid with Flying Officer G. A. Park of ■ Otago. Park has been in nine of the squadron’s twelve raids, unndell has also been in nine raids, Trent and Pilot Officer T. L. B. Taylor of Wellington, and Flying Officer S. Coshall of Auckland, have been in eight raids each. Grindell paid a warm tribute to the squadron’s ground crews for their part. “It was through their untiring efforts that we have been able to make so many sorties.” His squadron had now! well settled down and more New Zealanders are being posted to it. They include Flying Officers O. E Foster, North, Canterbury; S. McGowan, Hastings; T. A. Penn, Christchurch; Sergeants R. F. Beazet, Feilding; D. R. Fowler, of Arrowtown; H. Baird, of Hamilton; C. R., Smith, of Millers Flat; T. W. J. Warner, Motueka; J. F. Ulrich, Hawera; and R. Street, New Plymouth. BERLIN RADIO STATEMENT. (Rec. 8.40.) LONDON, April 1. The Berlin radio said that one hundred and eighty were killed and four hundred injured in Rotterdam yesterday, as a result of a Flying, Fortress raid. One thousand homes were destroyed and ten thousand people were rendered homeless.

RAIDS OVER EUROPE

R.A.F. ATTACKS ON RAILWAYS.

RUGBY, April 1. Mosquitoes of the Bomber Command, this afternoon, bombed the railway workshops at Trier railway yards, Ehrang, Western Germany. . Aircraft fighter and Army cooperation commands attacked railway targets in France and Belgium. Discussing the bombing offensive against Germany, Captain Balfour said that more' was coming to the Reich. There were signs that this bombing offensive was not only having a good material effect, but was undermining the morale of the German people. Reports received show-

ed considerable discontent among the people at their leaders’ failure to protect them against the Allied offensive. \ • BUSY MONTH FOR U.S. AIR FORCE. RUGBY, (.April 1. American heavy bombers of the United States Army Eighth Air Force with nine bombing raids and one im--portant' coastal operation to their credit, had during March, their busiest month in the European theatre of war. They destroyed 142 enemy aircraft, probably, destroyed twenty-two, and damaged fifty-one. They lost nineteen bombers. More than sixteenhundred tons of bombs were dropped on enemy targets.