23 Luftwaffe Moonlight Raiders Down

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 109, 9 May 1941, Page 7

23 Luftwaffe Moonlight Raiders Down

Biggest Night Fighter Success to Date BATTLECRUISERS GET HEAVIEST PASTING United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph —Copyright. Received Thursday, 11.50 p.m. LONDON, May 8. It Is officially stated that 23 enemy bomdera were destroyed over Britain last night. An Air Ministry communique desert oes the enemy activity last night as again neavy with snarp attacks on the Merseyside, north-west and nortneast areas, also the Humoer district and tne Bristol Cnannel area. Extensive damage was done and reports thus lar indicate that the casualties will be heavy. The raiders also caused damage and a number of casualties in East Anglia and Southwest England. IUU'. oomoers attacked Brest and other objectives in enemy-occupied territory. ni g Majesty the King “somewhere in England” saw night ngntera go into action on their most success! ui night yet. He shook hands and wisheu good luck to tne pilots of a famous squadron who a lew minutes later took off to waylay the Luftwaffe’s moonlight raiders. It was his Majesty's first visit to a nig at fighter station. As soon as the moon rose he saw powerful Beau fighters and sinisterlooking Havoc planes, which are an American designer’s magnincent contribution to tne air deience of Britain, strung across the aerodrome, he talked with the eager crews and then watched the night prowlers climb into the velvety sky and roar off to the fcillA later message says: Tongues of flame leapt skywards in many parts of Britain last night as all types of incendiaries and explosives rained down on waterside towns in another heavy German attack. The bombers’ targets were again widespread, but the KJV.2. night nghters were credited with shooting down 22 and the antiaircraft guns got one. The Home Guard and police were busy all night long rounding up Germans who parachuted from the stricken bombers. Several crashed in flames, giving the crews ho chance to escape.

The bag of 23 night raiders collected by the R.A.F. last night was the largest single night success since the beginning of the war. Besides those shot down a number of others were damaged and eight more were crashed during daylight. This brings the total night fighter bag for the first seven days of May to 75, only 12 under the score for the whole of April, and allowing four of a crew to each plane means the loss of 300 experienced airmen to the Luftwaffe in one week. Heavy Damage to Enemy Battlecruisers. In the course of widespread raids by the Bomber Command of the RAF. powerful blows were struck in the Battle of the Atlantic. The battlecruisers Schamhorst and Gneisenau hiding in the docks of Brest received their worst battering to date. The attack was particularly successful. Visibility was excellent and the warships were easily picked out. Salvoes of the heaviest armourpiercing bombs fell square on the vessels and heavy damage was also done to the docks and buildings in the naval base. Another highly successful attack was also made on the submarine base cf St. Nazaire, on the coast of France, and great damage was observed among warehouses, industrial buildings and naval objectives. Other forces carried out attacks on enemy shipping off the Netherlands coast and oil storage tanks in enemyoccupied territory.