DARING RAIDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 206, 1 August 1941, Page 5

DARING RAIDS

SCANDINAVIAN BASES. WIDESPREAD OPERATIONS. (United Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 10 a.m.) RUGBY, July 31. A daring anti successful attack on enemy shipping' and harbour works at two North Scandinavian ports by naval aircraft is announced in an Admiralty communique. Naval aircraft yesterday delivered attacks on German shipping in the harbours of Kirkcncs (Norway) and Petsamo (Finland). At Petsamo little shipping was found in the port and our attack was concentrated against harbour works.

Anti-aircraft lire and fighter opposition against our craft were encountered, but the jetties were hit, a warehouse and an oil tank were seen to he set on fire, and generally great damage was done to the port

lacilities. At Kirkencs the fast German warship Bremso, of 1460 tons, with an armament of six 3.5 in anti-aircraft guns, which before tho war was a gunnery training ship, was twice hit. iStrong opposition from the enemy made it impossible to observe all the results, but it is believed that at least four supply ships were hit. Three Messerschmitt 109's and one Junkers 87 arc known to have been shot down during the operations.

Our losses in these two attacks were 16 naval aircraft.

An Air Ministry communique says that in daylight yesterday a considerable force of Blenheims of the Bomber Command searched German territorial waters for shipping. A number of small vessels in a convoy wore sighted and attacked in Heligoland Bight. A ship of 1200 tons was sank and direct hits on others of 1500 and 500 tons were followed by explosions which threw debris high in the air. Seven of our aircraft arc missing from these daylight operations. Flying between the masts and within a few feet of the muzzles of the anti-aircraft guns. Blenheim aircraft of the Bomber Command attacked several enemy ships in Heligoland Bight. Many enemy fighters were on patrol, but. in spite o! them the pilots almost scraped the decks of ship after ship in a heavily guarded convoy.

One Blenheim came home with a ship's aerial entangled round the tail wheel. The wire now hangs as a trophy in the sergeants’ mess. Another Blenheim, ignoring the menace of guns at point-blank range, was hit in one of the petrol tanks. The tank caught fire, but the crew quickly mastered the flames and after a successful attack came safely home. SHIPPING. CASUALTIES.

In the attack on a convoy of six ships a direct hit on a 1500-ton merchant ship sent her heeling to port and she was left sinking; a 1200-ton ship in the same convoy was hit aft of the funnel and blown up. The captain of the Blenheim which scored this success said his formation had to fly through thick cloud and a North Sea squall before the clouds dispersed into thin stratus over the convoy.

“I watched my wing-commander,” he said, “going in to attack another ' 500-tonner and saw the ship blow up in a wild explosion of debris, flame, steam, and smoke. \Ye continued on a zig-zag course until we sighted another convoy heading north-cast to cut off the bight. I decided to pick off the last ship in the convoy and flew over a mast and bombed it from 30ft.”

A 500-ton ship was attacked by two bombers; one got a direct hit amidships and there was so much smoke from the explosion that the crew of the second bomber could not distinguish the results of their own attack. The ship was left well alight. During last night aircraft of the Bomber Command, flying through ■severe thunderstorms and extensive rain clouds, went to "Western Germany and attacked industrial targets in tho Aachen and Cologne areas. The docks at Boulogne were also bombed. Three of our planes arc missing from these' night operations. RAID ON SARDINIA.

An R.A.F. Middle East communique says that the 11.A.F. carried out a successful attack on enemy aerodromes and seaplane bases at Sardinia yesterday, considerable destruction being caused to enemy aircraft. Two S79"s and throe Cant 500’s were .set on (ire and burnt out, and several other ■STD’s and a number of seaplanes were heavily damaged.

In addition. many other aircraft were riddled with lire from our aircraft. which sprayed the interiors of the hangars with their guns. In a seaplane hangar a large tire was started, and a great column of smoke visible for 20 miles rose from what appeared to be burning aircraft. The crew of a heavy gun which came into action wore machine-gunned, all the members apparently being killed.

One Alacehi 200 which attempted to intercept was driven off. The R.A.F. formation also encountered one four-engined transport aircraft over the sea and attacked it and sot fire to one of its engines and put another out of action. The enemy aircraft was last seen descending towards the sea.

There is nothing to report ’elsewhere —Official Wireless.

SOY IFT CO-OPER A TION. LONDON. July 31

The German radio stated that British torpedo-carrying planes, under ar, escort of fighters, took off from an aircraft-carrier in the Arctic Sea and attacked a north Norwegian port. The attack coincided with a Soviet raid on northern Norway, It is understood in Ixnidon that Russian planes also attacked Kirkenes. Pc tea mo. which is used by the Germans to supply the army on the Alurinaiisk sector, was formally blockaded by Britain a few days before the invasion of Russia.