DIRECT HITS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21959, 10 May 1941, Page 7

DIRECT HITS

Nazi Battle-Cruisers Heavy Raid On Brest British Official Wireless (7.30 p.m.) RUGBY, May 8. Last night the weather in the north-east corner of France gave the Royal Air Force an opportunity to make sure of doing effective damage to the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, states the Air Ministry. The docks and harbour at Brest lay exposed in the moonlight, and our crews could plainly see the Gneisenau to the dry dock and the Scharnhorst moored up against the jetty near the torpedo boat base. The attack was made with no less deliberation than precision. Bombs had to be dropped not only to the right place but from the right height, as the battlecruisers make a very small target when seen from the height from which a heavy armour piercing bomb will fall with enough force to penetrate the specially protected decks of the battlecruisers. Some pilots used an alternative method of diving rapidly on to the target so that the speed of the aircraft added to the momentum of the bomb. One such dive was made from over 16.000 feet and the bomb was released on the way, the pilot continuing to dive to about 2000 feet before he balled out. The whole of his crew were confident that the Gneisenau had been hit. Another crew claimed direct hits on the vessels. One very heavy armour piercing bomb burst immediately forward of the funnel of the Gneisenau. An equally heavy bomb was seen to burst in the forepart of the Scharnhorst, and the large brilliant explosion which followed it lit up the whole ship. There were also many near misses besides both ships, which may well have done further substantial damage. Large Fires Started Docks, harbour and shipping were other targets for the R.A.F. The submarine base at St. Nazaire was attacked and large fires started, oil refineries at the mouth of the Loire were raided and hits were scored on the harbour of Bergen, to Norway. Warehouses and other Industrial buildings at Bremen also were set on fire. In all these night operations the R.A.F. lost two aeroplanes. Describing, last night's attack of the Coastal Command on the two large oil refineries and oil storage plant at the mouth of the River Loire, the Air Ministry reports that the first bombs found the target, and as following aircraft came in, the observers saw great fires suddenly appear and became framed to the bomb sights. One by one the tall chimneys of the refineries were toppled over. The captain of one aircraft said “It appeared as if the chimney was wrenched from its base and tossedTh the air like a caber Very soon a wide area was all alight The countryside, which shortly before stood out distinctly in the full moonlight, became completely obscured by rolling billows of smoke which also travelled several miles out to" sea off St. Nazaire.” Enemy Convoy Attacked A successful air attack on an enemy convoy in the Mediterranean is reported by the Air Ministry. Direct hits were scored on two merchant ships. Smoke was seen to be pouring from one, and both were listing badly after the raid. An Italian aircraft which attempted to intercept the attacking aeroplanes was shot down. Malta was raided by enemy aircraft on the night of May 6-7, when some damage was caused to property. Two Junkers 88’s were shot down by antiaircraft fire and one by night fighters. A statement issued by the Egyptian Minister of the Interior reports that enemy raiders bombed the Suez Canal area for two hours yesterday. Much damage was done to Government property, roads, and telegraphs, but there were no casualties. Alexandra had two alerts last night, but no bombs were dropped.