INVASION PRELUDE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24912, 11 May 1942, Page 5

INVASION PRELUDE

BRITAIN'S AIR OFFENSIVE SMASHING THE LUFTWAFFE (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 9. The Secretary of State for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, revealed in a speech at Birmingham, that Britain plans to smash the German Air Force and then invade the Continent. Sir Archibald said he did not know how long it would take to finish off the Luftwaffe, i but he promised it a terrible summer. " The initiative," he declared, "is passing from Germany to the United Nations. The time has come when we are beginning to hit back hard, but on a scale only foreshadowing the British and American force to come. This is the battle for Britain reversed. We had in 194<f better pilots, better training, better aircraft than the Germans, but now we have a greater number. "The Battle of Britain." Sir Archibald Sinclair went on, "lasted only a couple of months, but the Luftwaffe knows it must fight without respite all the summer. Also, in 1940, we knew if we won the Battle of Britain our air power would increase, but the Luftwaffe know its own power is waning. We must, therefore, give it no rest. We must hammer it out of shape. "When that will be completed I do not know," Sir Archibald said, "but then will come the invasion of the Continent. I believe the people and the Governments of the United Nations are determined to attack the German armed forces in Europe, but the plans must be well laid and the time carefully chosen. "Meanwhile," he said, "the RA.F. will not leave the Russians to fight Hitler alone. Hitler is now forced to fight under conditions not of his choosing. Hitler did not choose to expend bombers on night-raiding Britain, but has been forced to do this in order to bolster up German morale. The boot is now on the other foot. Germany cannot remove her industries from the Ruhr, which will remain an R.A.F. target until they are destroyed or Germany has accepted defeat." HEAVY ATTACK GERMAN PORT BATTERED COST OF NINETEEN BOMBERS (Rec. 10 p.m.) RUGBY, May 9. The R.A.F. force which attacked important targets at Warnemunde last night was a powerful one. The target, which is six miles from Rostock, was heavily defended, and it is possible that these defences had been considerably reinforced after the marked success of the attack on the Heinkei works at Rostock recently. There was a fierce barrage, particularly of light anti-aircraft fire, and a great concentration of searchlights. The bombers included Halifaxs, Stirlings, Lancasters, Manchesters. Wellingtons,. and. Hamp.dens. By the end of the attack there were fires in the port. Many bombers made low-level attacks from between 400 to 800 feet, but there was also a great deal of high-level bombing. Great concentrations of searchlights were encountered by the British bombers, including two comprising as many as 42 beams. Many searchlights were inclined at a low angle, evidently in the hope of hiding the port and factory under a dazzle of lights, but many bombers went as low, or under the screen of light. Warnemunde is the terminus of the train ferry to Denmark, which the enemy uses to carry troops and supplies to Norway. It also contains a U-boat training base and an important sirorsft fsctorv* Nineteen bombers are missing from all operations. A Zurich report states that the RA.F. raids on Stuttgart extensively damaged the Bosch works and also severely damaged the inner town of Stuttgart.' Several streets have been evacuated. Attacks on Shipping An Air Ministry communique states that Hudson aircraft of the Coastal Command made two attacks on a heavily-escorted convoy and 12 enemy supply ships off the Dutch coast on Thursday night. In the first attack at dusk several ships were hit by bombs. The second attack was made in darkness some hours later, and another ship was hit. Two aircraft are missing. .. , , *u The attack described above was the climax to a week of intensive operations' which marked the opening of the 'Coastal Command's spring offensive against enemy shipping. In six days aircraft of the Coastal Command bombed and damaged at least 11 supply ships and a destroyer. A Coastal Command Hudson yesterday at dusk hit a large ship near Haugesund. There was a big explosion and the ship burned fiercely. Fighters attacked aerodromes in France and Holland. Extensive Operations The Air Ministry states that in offensive operations over northern France and Belgium on Saturday, squadrons of fighters escorted by Boston bombers carried out attacks on targets at Hazebrouck and Bruges. At Ha'zebrouck the enemy put up the strongest opposition encountered for some time. A total of about 90 enemy fighters took off, and running fights lasted to mid-Channel on the way home. Our fighters, not without loss to themselves, warded off all attacks on the Bostons and severely damaged several enemy fighters. All the Bostons returned. R.A.F. fighters made two sweeps in the course of the day over Calais and Boulogne without encountering enemy fighters. At Bruges an attack was launched in the early evening, when one enemy fighter was destroyed and others badly damaged. Seven of our fighters are missing from these operations. . TWCTVICTIMS NEW ZEALANDER'S SUCCESS (Rec. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 9. A New Zealander. Sergeant Hay, piloted a night Hurricane which destroyed a Heinkei 111 and damaged a Dornier over Holland last night. "I was around the aerodrome and saw the Dornier about to land." lie said. "It was too far away to engage, and so I went out to the Dutch coast, where I saw another Dornier coming in. I attacked at point blank ramje and .saw my shots going home. The Dornier rolled over and dived towards the sea from 1000 feet. " I broke away and turned to watch the crash, when I saw a Heinkei 111. The second burst sent the Heinkei over on its back, and it crashed into the sea. As I lost sight of the first one. I am onlv clai'mins it as severely damaged, but I am claiming the second as destroved. I stayed around another hour and a-auarter after the comb?.!, but nothing further happened."