NEW BOMBS USED BY R.A.F.

Southland Times, Issue 24421, 29 April 1941, Page 6

NEW BOMBS USED BY R.A.F.

Terrific Explosions At Hamburg (E.0.W.) RUGBY, April 26. The Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, seeing air-raid damage at Manchester today, said: “It is a tragedy, but they will get it back threefold.” Describing the latest raid on Hamburg, made on Saturday, in which the latest and most powerful bombs were used, the Air Ministry reports that night fighters were up again attempting to intercept the British bombers as they neared the enemy coast but—save for one aircraft, a Messerschmitt, which followed one aircraft for half an hour and then broke off the engagement after a brief exchange of fire—there were no obstacles.

The bombers arrived over Hamburg to find low drifting clouds between them and the ground, but every now and then there were clear patches through which to aim the bombs and see the results. The pilots’ impression of the effects of these powerful bombs were all very similar. One pilot said: “We saw a huge, heaving mass like a volcanic eruption which rose and settled down into a great red glow fully half a mile in diameter.”

The burst of this bomb was seen also by the sergeant-pilot of another aircraft. He said: “It was away on our port side. We were 10 miles off, but even from that distance it was terrific.” One aircraft which attacked Bremerhaven dropped its load and the effect was very much the same as at Hamburg. “I had with me one of the powerful bombs,” said the pilot, “and after it burst I could see a great circle of red and on the rim of it quite a distance from the centre I saw buildings going up in the air. Although I have been in 31 raids I have never seen anything to match the effect of this bomb.”

An Air Ministry communique says:— “During daylight yesterday the Bomber Command continued operations against enemy shipping. Three supply ships were attacked off the coast of Norway and at least one was sunk. A vessel of about 4000 tons in an escorted convoy off the Frisian Islands was bombed and damaged. Anti-aircraft gun ships near the Dutch coast were attacked with bombs and machine-gun fire. A successful surprise attack was made on one aerodrome near Sund, in Norway, yesterday. Two grounded aircraft were destroyed by bombs' and others were machine-gunned. “The main attack last night by the same command was on objectives in Hamburg. Powerful bombs and thousands of incendiaries were dropped and fires were started in industrial and dock areas. Other aircraft attacked Emden, Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven. From all these day and night operations five of our planes are missing. “The Coastal Command last night successfully bombed the docks at Le Havre and Ijmuiden. No air Craft are missing from these operations.”