PETTY RAID

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 96, 21 March 1940, Page 7

PETTY RAID

ATTACK ON SCAPA. FIRST LORD’S COMMENT. ATTACKS TO BE EXPECTED. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.— Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received March 21, 10.138 a.m. _ RUGBY, March 20. The evident desire of Ihe Nazis to portray “this petty, ill-directed raid on Scapa Flow as an important military affair” was described by Mr Winston Churchill in the House of Commons as “significant and encouraging.” He was answering a question on the defences of the naval base, saying:—“The defences of Scapa Flow and all the naval bases arc reviewed constantly in particular relation to the results of enemy attack.” He added: We must probably expect attacks of this kind to be a regular feature in the coming months, and we shall do our best to resist them and return them. DAMAGE BY BOMBS. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 19. Photographs of the village and Bridge of Waithe, taken by the London Daily Express, showing one cottage completely demolished and a bomb crater within a short distance, and another with the windows blown out by the blast, provide an incontestable answer to the Nazi wireless statements that the civilian casualties in Saturday’s air raid were caused by British anti-aircraft gunfire. It has not been suggested here that the Nazi raiders deliberately attacked civilians. There is no doubt in British naval and air circles that the Nazi formation was broken up by the intensity of the British anti-aircraft fire, which has been described by the Ger- a man pilots as “hell let loose,” and that the raiders were forced to range over 100 square miles of wild Scottish countryside, dropping their bombs obviously without knowledge of what they were hitting. It is fully realised that blind chance caused a small proportion of the bombs dropped to fall on one of the few inhabited parts of the sparsely populated area, but there is no possible doubt that these casualties were caused by German airmen who were some miles away from their declared objective. The Foreign Secretary (Lord Halifax), in the House of Lords, said in reply to questions: “I do not think that- on the information it is true to say that there was a deliberate attack on civilians as such.” INVITATION DECLINED. R.A.F. PILOT OVER GERMANY. (British Official Wireless.) Received March 21, 10.20 a.m. RUGBY, March 20. An R.A.F. pilot- relates how during a recent night reconnaissance flight over Germany he was courteously invited to land on an enemy aerodrome. Over north-west Germany the pilot and observer, while eagerly studying the dark landscape beneath them, spotted ah aerodrome. It was evident that enemy aircraft were engaged in some night flying as the landing lights were showing. As the R.A.l* • pilot flew directly over the aerodrome at no great height he was surprised to receive flashlamp signals indicating that all was sot for him to make a landing, an invitation which he fell bound to decline. NEWS CENSORSHIP. DISSATISFACTION IN LORDS. LONDON, March 19. In the House ot Lords the Labour peer, Lord Snell, said that the nation was becoming dissatisfied over lack of information. Germany knew the facts of the Scapa Flow raid in two hours and America in three hours, but Britain was not informed for nine hours. “Our propaganda is hopelessly inadequate,” he said. “The Government has little aptitude for carrying on the war and bringing it to a quick conclusion. The Foreign Secretary (Lord Halifax) replying, said that no effort had been spared to secure ihe best in formation and the best propaganda. WESTERN FRONT. ENEMY PATROLS REPELLED. Received March 21, 10.20 a.m. PARIS, March 20. A French morning communique states: “It was a calm night on the whole front. Our outposts repelled enemy patrols and inflicted casualties west of the Vosges.” DEAD IN LAST WAR. REMAINS STILL FOUND. Received March 31, 10 30 a.m. LONDON, March 20. “While the Commission is still find ing on the battlefields of the last war the remains of men who gave their lives to end war, wc have had to prepare for a now harvest of death,” declares tlic twentieth report of the War Graves Commission. It adds that the figures of the war dead will possibly never be final. Dead are being found weekly on the old battlefields.