“AT RIGHT SPOT”

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21421, 15 May 1941, Page 7

“AT RIGHT SPOT”

HELIGOLAND RAIDED SHIPS SET ON FIRE OTHER PORTS BOMBED (omclal Wireless) (Received May 15, 11 a.m.) SUGBY, May 14 It is learned in London that Heligoland was raided in daylight yesterday by a Royal Air Force squadron. Successful attacks were made with bembs and macslne-gun fire from a few hunderd feet causing great confusion. The Air Ministry News Service states: Our aircraft dropped sticks of high explosives. Columns of smoke, mixed with dust and debris of shattered buildings, rose immediately and spread over the ground, to obscure the cliffs. The pilot who led the attack said: “It was a perfect theoretical raid carried out in practice. We came in at exactly the right spot after more than two hours’ flying. Below us we saw targets as we had seen them on photographs in the briefing room.’* During the attack the front and rear gunners poured bullets into the streets and bivil barracks. A German flying-boat which appeared above the British aircraft was also machine-gunned. The whole operation was completed before the ground defences could offer any effective opposition. One of our aircraft is reported missing. Other daylight activities of the Bomber Command included attacks on shipping off the Dutch end French coasts and on the enemy base at St. Nasaire. A communique reported that dockside buildings were damaged and an enemy supply ship of about 12,000 tons was hit amidships and set on Are. Another supply ship of about 2000 tons was encountered off Ushant. It was hit and left sinking. Two of our aircraft are missing from the attack on St. Nazaire. Great Damage At Ostend The weather last night was unsuitable for large-scale operations, but the Ostend aerodrome was attacked by Royal Air Force fighters about dawn today. One pair of Hurricanes swept across the aerodrome at 100 feet. The squadron leader gave a short burst at a large hangar and saw a brilliant red explosion. An Australian pilot officer followed closely and fired two bursts at the barrack block and hangars. Another pair of Hurricanes, flying low over the Belgian coast, fired at gun-posts between the aerodrome and the sea. They silenced several guns and caused casualties to the crews. Our fighters flew through intense anti-aircraft fire but suffered no damage and returned safely. ATTACKS ON BRITAIN LITTLE GERMAN ACTIVITY RAIDERS SHOT DOWN ( omclal Wireless) (Received May 15, 1 p.m.) RUGBY, May 14 A Ministry of Home Security communique states: There has been some enemy activity over this country today. Bombs were dropped by single aircraft at points on the south coast, in the East Midlands, and in Eastern England. Little damage was done and the number of casualties was small. One enemy bomber was destroyed whilst raiding this country last night. It is now known that another enemy aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft gunfire during daylight last Sunday, making a total of six destroyed that day. Diplomatic Adviser Killed The mounting list of distinguished persons killed by enemy action is further increased with the announcement that Mr Edward Ingram, C.M.Q., diplomatic adviser to the Ministry of Economic Warfare, has been killed while fire-watching. Mr Ingram, who was aged 50, was on the War Office staff in the last war. Later he entered the diplomatic service and served in many parts of the world, being charge d’affaires at Rome from 1935 to 1937. GERMANS RETIRE TO ORIGINAL POSITIONS FIGHTING NEAR TOBRUK LONDON, May 14 The German forces have retired to their original positions south and west of Tobruk, states a communique from Cairo. MINIATURE LETTERS ARRIVAL OF 50.000 .United Press Assn. —E*ec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, May 13 The first batch of 50,000 letters under the newly-instituted airgraph service from the Middle East to Britain has arrived in London. The letters are on Aims, which have been flown all the way. They weighed only 131 b., whereas 50,000 ordinary letters would have weighed nearly three-quarters of a ton. As soon as the letters arrived experts began to enlarge them frem the size of a finger nail to four inches by five. ny special arrangements neuter * WotU service, in addition to other speriai source, or information, is used in the of the overseas Intelligence published j a tills l»sue. and all rights therein to Au* ualU and New Zealand are reserved, such of me cable news in tlila issue •» i, » 0 beaded has appeared lr. the Time* anu u so sent to tbs paper by special perrnUnon. It should be understood that tb< Dpinion is not that of the Tuues unseat * U aapresti* stated to be so.