NAZI OPERATIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 89, 14 March 1941, Page 5

NAZI OPERATIONS

MERSEYSIDE BOMBED. STAUNCH DEVICES. (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 13. Last night the enemy aimed their first large-scale raid over England for some months. Their objective was the Merseyside, but damage and casualties bore no relation to the scale of the attack. The most serious damage was to a number of private houses. British defences, which included night fighters, anti-aircraft guns, and other devices, harassed the enemy by sea and land. Planes in action included the new twin-engined Bristol Beaufighter. Nine enemy bombers are known to have been destroyed, and it is believed that five of them were victims of the night fighters. Night fighters, antiaircraft guns and “other devices” contributed to these successes, states an Air Ministry communique. This is the first time that the term “other devices” has been used in connection with operations against raiders. An Air Ministry communique says: “The moon being.full and the weather clear, the enemy last night attempted their first. large-scale raid for some months, attacking the Merseyside in force. The damage and casualties bore no relation to the scale of the attack and little was achieved beyond seriously damaging a number of private houses. There were isolated incidents in other parts of the country. “Our defences, including fighters, anti-aircraft and other devices, were very active and harassed the enemy by land and sea. Nine enemy bombers are known to have been destroyed.” DAYLIGHT ACTIVITY. Few enemy planes visited Britain in daylight on Wednesday and there were no casualties and little damage, but activity warmed up after nightfall. Raiders audible from London were mostly apparently en route to other districts but the metropolitan antiaircraft batteries did their utmost to put salt on theiy tails as they passed by. One raider was shot down m flames on the boundary of Surrey and Sussex. It was a Heinkel. Four members of the crew were killed but the fifth baled out and surrendered to a member of the Home Guard. The enemy machines flew so high that it was hardly possible to hear their engines. They unloaded incendiary and high-explosive bombs indiscriminately over Liverpool, the raid lasting several hours. The victory of two Spitfire pilots who destroved two Messerschmitt ■ 109’s—nart of a small formation attempting to bomb a South Coast aerodrome this morning—was witnessed by a pilot station, says a British Official Wireless report. The enemy came in from the sea at a low level and the two Spitfires at once dived to the attack. One picked on a straggler, which he chased across the aerodrome and sent crashing into the sea.

Meanwhile the other Spitfire pilot had succeeded in breaking up and turning back the rest of the now scattered formation. He engaged two raiders over the aerodrome and, firing at both, saw one dive down to within 800 ft of the ground, with white smoke pouring from it. A few moments later this machine was seen to crash on land at Hytlie.

Both Spitfires landed on the aerodrome safely after this successful engagement. Late yesterday afternoon one - Spitfire pilot was killed in action over the South-East Coast when he attacked two Messersehmitt 109’s, one... of which he damaged, afterwards sending the other int-o the sea in a vertical dive. . Two enemy aircraft, Messersehmitt 109’s, were shot down near the SouthEast Coast about dawn this morning. Late yesterday afternoon an enemy fighter was destroyed in .tlm Straits of Dover. One of our fighters was lost. '