RAID IN LOFOTENS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 28, 2 January 1942, Page 5

RAID IN LOFOTENS

ANOTHER TRIUMPH NO LOS'SES SUFFERED. (United Press Association —Copyright) (Rec, 12 noon) RUGBY, Jan. 1. An Admiralty communique states that our light forces under the command of Rear-Admiral H. K. Hamilton returned to-day from combined operations lasting several days in the Lofoten Islands, off the jiorth coast of Norway.

Our ships, which included Norwegian and Polish units, made use of one of the harbours as a fuelling base during the operations. The force was constantly reconnoitred by enemy aircraft. Wo suffered no casualties or damage, and our forces shot down one enemy laircraft. They also sank a German patrol vessel and completely disorganised the enemy's sea communications in this important area. Meanwhile one of our commandos and Norwegian troops under the command of Lieut.-Colonel-Harrison landed at four different places and captured some German prisoners, who gave themselves up without fighting, and also several Quislings. A number of Norwegians with their families availed themselves of this opportunity to come to this country. EARLIER ATTACK DESCRIBED, j

The Air Ministry News Service describes how Coastal Command longrange fighters engaged in protecting the previous commando lanaing force were directed and controlled by a squadron-leader standing on the bridge oi a warship and communicating with them by radio-telephone. He said: "The Hampden bombers woke the place up immediately they arrived. The whole area became a mass of flames and smoke as guns from the ships and shore began to fire. Shortly afterwards the Beaufighters joined in the battle. During the raids they shot down four Heinkcl Ill's." The roof of a factory was blown 500 ft into the air. In the middle of the operations a German supply ship with its escort came inLo the fiord. As soon as the crew of the supply ship saw what was happening they drove it on to the rocks and took to the boats while the escort tried to escape, but it wa6 sunk by a destroyer. The attack on the Herdla aerodrome was carried out by lour squadrons of Blenheim bombers which crossed the North Sea through heavy snow showers. The wing-commander said : "We flew 50ft above the water and low enough to see a man waving from a rowing boat and, as we crossed one island, to see a little boy climbing a fence to get a better view. As we approached the Herdla. aerodrome we spotted many Messcrschmitts on the ground and we knew our task was to wreck the wooden runway before the enemy fighters could get off. At one moment it seemed that the whole length of one runway was broken by pillars of ground smoke, some with caps of snow, thrown by the bursts. One Messerschmitt was taxi-ing along when the rear-gunner called out: 'The Messerschmitt has disappeared. He's gone right into one of our bomb holes!' All that was left was its tail sticking l out of the ground."—Official Wireless.,