“LIKE BEDLAM”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 97, 23 March 1940, Page 7

“LIKE BEDLAM”

BRITISH AIR RAID. NEW ZEALANDERS’ FART. COUNTRY HEARTENED. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, March 21. . “It was just like Bedlam let loose.” This was Die description given by a 22-year-old New Zealander of the scene over the German island of Sylt in the Royal Air Force raid during Tuesday night. The crew of one bomber comprised a Canadian pilot, a New Zealand second pilot, an Irish wireless operator, and an English gunner. Thirty-five per cent, of the pilots and crews engaged in the raid were New Zealanders and Australians, and a further 15 per cent, came from the other Dominions. So far, it is the Dominions’ biggest representation in R.A.F. operations. One of the New Zealanders engaged in tile raid was Pilot Officer Tony Lux--11100 re. of Eeildiug. The New Zealanders and Australians concentrated on the Hornum base, and they averaged six hours’ flying during the raid. First they flow over northwest Germany to make doubly certain of the location of the military objective, whereupon they gave the German base “all they had” before returning home according to schedule. NEW STIMULUS. 'the gallant and deadly Royal Air Force raid has already taken its place alongside the Graf Spee battle and the Altinark rescue, making a triangle of glorious exploits to the credit of Britain’s fighting forces. The Sylt exploit has served to inject new stimulus into civilians who were growing weary of the long inaction and wore beginning to adopt a most critical attitude concerning the conduct of the war.

In the House of Lords, Lord Straholgi expressed admiration for the brilliant feat of the B.A.F. Lord Strnbolgi said that Sylt was a perfect target because the civilians were removed from the island some time ago. During past months, in which wo had seen our merchant seamen brutally done to death bv German aircraft, the country had longed for an opportunity to retort.

Neutral observers on the DanishGerman and German-Dutch frontiers say that the news of the extent of the British raid is rapidly spreading through Germany, despite very brief and belittling references made in the Nazi Press, which is confining the entire story to allegations that British ’planes violated Danish and Dutch territory.

Holland made a prompt reply with a ; semi-official statement denying that j foreign ’planes violated Dutch territory. I The German Official Agency claims I that three raiders wore shot down and says that between 15 and 20 ’planes participated. Bomb fragments slightly I injured three people. It is denied that I a munitions dump at the air base was ! destroyed. EXTENT OF DAMAGE. Smoke was still rising this afternoon from tlie smouldering hangars and aerodromes at Sylt and revealed that one of the four heavily-armed towers of the Hindenburg Dam, the causeway that connects Sylt to the German mainland, was destroyed. First-hand accounts of the raid fully substantiate earlier reports of the extensive damage inflicted upon Hornum. They also confirm that the British attack met with determined and almost incessant opposition from tiie island’s strong ground defence system. “Not once during the 15 minutes we were cruising over Sylt were we given even a few seconds to rest from anti-aircraft fire or the searchlights,” said tlie captain of one ’plane which arrived over tlie island shortly after midnight. “We were being closely followed by a trail of pom-pom shells.” “FLAMING ONIONS.” Flaming buildings, as well as the light of tlie moon, guided the Inter arrivals to tlie targets. “When we arrived over tlie island there was quite a nice little lire going and we made straight for it,” said one pilot. “We were being shot at all the time. Our bombs fell 011 a large hangar. After ! dropping the bombs and turning away Iwe saw a huge fire blazing which had | not been there when we arrived. | “Tlie anti-aircraft lire was heavy, ! including ‘flaming onions.’ It was tiie j first time 1 had encountered them. It 1 was curiously fascinating to see bow | slowly they seemed to approach the; ’plane. Luckily, their slowness gave us plenty of time to get out of the way.” Typical of the preliminary reports of pilots on their return was that by the captain of one of (lie first aircraft to arrive over the seaplane base. “One bomb was observed to burst between hangars.” he said. “Three hursts were observed just north of a hangar. Two bursts were observed between tlie base and tlie slipway.” A message from Copenhagen says that the Danish Minister in London lias been instructed to protest to Britain against Royal Air Force violation of Danish territory during tlie Sylt raid. It is officially stated in London that there is no confirmation of the reported Danish protest.