BOMBING OF OSLO AIRPORT

Southland Times, Issue 24115, 2 May 1940, Page 7

BOMBING OF OSLO AIRPORT

Oslo’s principal airport of Fornebu, which the Nazis are using as a base for troop transport from Germany, was attacked for the fourth time last night by the Royal Air Force bomber command.

The attack took the form of a series of raids starting shortly after midnight and continuing for over an hour. Attacking singly and in succession the British aircraft dropped a large number of high explosive bombs on the aerodrome, across the landing ground. Parachute flares were dropped to assist observation and bursts were seen in line spreading from the north-west to the south-east. In spite of strong opposition from gun batteries, and searchlights, which increased in intensity as the raid developed, all the attacks were pressed home. At the cost of one aircraft, which failed to return, considerable damage is believed to have been done to the airport and the aircraft dispersed round it. During the last 24 hours formations of the Royal Air Force Coastal Command aircraft on patrol along the Norwegian coast report a series of encounters with enemy bombers. One small flight of Blenheims over Andalsnes gave chase to a Junkers 88, which took refuge in a cloud. Avoiding action of this kind was also resorted to by a Heinkel HIS, which the Blenheims intercepted and attacked from astern. The Blenheims next observed a Messerschmitt 110 climbing out of a cloud. The Nazi fighter had a rough encounter and was last seen spiralling down in distress. . Two other aircraft saw a Heinkel 111

flying dead across their track. They pursued it for 10 minutes with sustained fire. This Heinkel also flew into a cloud and could not be found. Another Junkers 88 was attacked effectively from the quarter and the rear. Its tail gun was put out of action and great plumes of black smoke came from both engines. The German was losing height rapidly as he made off. Entering a fiord farther to the south Coastal Command aircraft met another Junkers 88 which turned and escaped into the clouds. GERMAN DEMONSTRATIONS Czechoslovak circles in London have received information of widespread demonstrations in Germany because details of the losses in Norway have been withheld. Feeling is particularly high in the Austrian and Sudeten areas. News of the sinking of transports has spread despite the censorship. The Berlin radio mentioned the Norwegian report of the bombing of the hospital ship Brand IV and claimed that German airmen were instructed to adhere strictly to international law arid never to attack hospitals or hospital ships under protection of the Red Cross, provided they were marked. The Norwegian Telegraph Agency interviewed the medical superintendent of the Brand IV who said: “Five German bombers attacked us three times. They must have seen the large red crosses painted all over the ship. The effect of the attack was appalling. Everybody on board was more or less

seriously wounded by bomb fragments. The ship went aground and the Nazis machine-gunned Us as we landed and kept up a merciless attack for over an hour.”