KNEW THE WAY

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21202, 27 August 1940, Page 6

KNEW THE WAY

THE RAID ON BERLIN

PILOT’S THRILLING STORY “GUNS POPPING AT US” (Offlclal Wireless) (Received August 27, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, August 26 An Air Ministry bulletin says: Although last night was the first occasion since the outbreak of the war when the Royal Air Force bombings attacks on military objectives in Berlin many of our bomber pilots are now familiar with this journey, having made it in every kind of weather since last autumn. In March Berlin was visited five times in six nights. A British pilot, describing the raid on Berlin, which was his 25th raid of the war, said: “For at least two-thirds of the way there was very heavy antiaircraft fire, much more than usual. One might also have thought that the Germans were expecting us. Twice I had to take violent evasive action to escape shells. “When we arrived over Berlin there was a formidable concentration of guns and searchlights. We cruised around for half an hour before we located the target and all the time the guns were popping off at us quite accurately/’ Right Over the Target The pilot added that through a hole in a cloud he saw the moon reflected on a lake, which gave him his position. Finding it difficult to bomb the first time owing to anti-aircraft opposition the British aeroplanes went away, just far enough to shake off the guns and searchlights, and then came back right over the target, by which time the friendly gap had opened wider and the machines were able to drop bombs. A large fire was seen burning before the clouds finally closed over the scene.