RAIDS ON ENEMY BASES

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 188, 6 May 1940, Page 10

RAIDS ON ENEMY BASES

Nazi Planes Go Up In Flames R.A.F. ACTION OVER DENMARK Ground Defences Prove Ineffective (British Ollieial Wireless.) RUGBY, May 3. _ The Air .Ministry announced this afternoon that a large Danish airfield at Ry, lying in open country on the shore of Lake Saltcn Langso, in north Jutland, and known to be used extensively by the enemy in connexion with their operations in Norway has been heavily and successfully bombed by R.A.F. aircraft.

The attacks began ypsterday evening and continued during i lie night. A daylight attack was also made Oil Stavanger on Thursday, and both this base and that, of Fornebu were also bombed during the night. The communique ended : "Numerous R.A.F. aircraft were engaged throughout yesterday in providing protection against air attack lor the convoy transporting British military forces from Andalsnes. No British aircraft were lost in any of these operations.’ The attacks on By announced by Hie Air Ministry were the first on this nest of enemy air transports. A strong concentration of aircraft dispersed round tlie landing ground was subjected to two separate attacks, the first in the half light of the late evening and the second after dark.

More than 20 aircraft could be seen on Hie first approach. Traversing the aerodrome from east to west singly tind in quick succession, the first section of raiders dropped their load of highexplosive and incendiary bombs on the landing ground and woods. A salvo from the leader was seen by the following aircraft to fall in the centre of the aerodrome. setting two enemy machines alight. Hits were registered in all parts of the landing area, and as the last attackers drew off fires were seen to have broken out on three sides of tlie aerodrome, while the surrounding woods were alight and blazing fiercely. Incendiary Bombs. A few minutes later the rearguard of tlie attacking force was in action. Continuous bursts of their high-explo-sive and incendiary bombs, straddling the aerodrome and the woods, added to lhe blazing confusion on the ground below. A deep pall of flame-riddled smoke now enveloped the air base. Fifty miles from Hie target on the homeward journey the rear gunner of one of the raiding aircraft saw the vivid flash of an explosion from the direction of Ry, as if an ammunition dump or a petrol store had blown up. No enemy aircraft were seen during tlie raid, and though heavy pom-pom and machine-gun fire was encountered over the target area 1 none of the British aircraft was hit.

The second phase of the attack on Ry began soon after dark and ceased two hours after the first raiding force had left. Converging on the .aerodrome singly and from different directions, tlie night raiders bombed their target at intervals for nearly 30 minutes, attacking from various heights. Two hits were registered in the northwest corner of tlie aerodrome and a heavy bomb was seen to burst just short of the main hangar. A salvo of three bombs straddled the northern boundary of the target, numerous explosions occurred in the woods, and new fires were seen to break out. The opposition from the ground defences wirs again ineffective, and all the British aircraft returned to their bases. Stavanger Raids. Yesterday morning's raid on Stavanger was carried out. by bombers attacking from a high altitude. High-explo-sive bombs dropped by the leading aircraft were seen by tlie following sections to register hits on the aerodrome, playing new havoc with the landing surface. Two German twin-engine fighters were sighted in tlie vicinity of the air base, but did not attempt to intercept the R.A.F. aircraft, all of which returned safely. In Hie course of Wednesday night’s operations against Stavanger there was a successful' encounter between Bomber Command aircraft and a German seaplane which was apparently returning home from a mine-laying expedition off tho British coast.

The captain of the British aircraft said: "Tlie most important tiling was to catch tlie seaplane before it reached its base. A few minutes after the chase began we saw a. Jlare being dropped. No doubt it was a signal to tlie ground stall’ to illuminate tlie water ready for a landing. Time seemed to be getting tlie better of its. Another flare was dropped, and live miles away we saw the seaplane’s landing place lit up at the same time that tlie seaplane was, descending to alight. By now we were within 600 yards of the aircraft and slightly below it. A few minutes later we got right underneath the seaplane, and by tilting the nose upward I was able to let them liave a stream of bullets right between tlie floats. After (lie limit attack, carried out at close range, the seaplane, which was now only 1000 feet above the water, tipped over on its starboard side and rapidly fell into the sea.” Nazi Plane Down. 't'lie R.A.F. shot down a Nazi plane near Borkum today. The Air Ministry announced this evening:—"Early today a reconnaissance aircraft of the R.A.F. was attacked by three enemy lighters near tlie Island of Borkum. In a fierce battle which followed the gunner of the British aircraft was killed, but not before he had shot down one of the enemy. The two remaining fighters eventually broke off the engagement. Our pilot ami navigator were both wounded, but succeeded in bringing their aircraft safely back to its base.” GUNFIRE OFF COAST OF ENGLAND (Received May 5, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON. May 4. There was heavy gunfire in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary for 20 minutes. Fighters wont out to sea. Fighter planes also went up in pursuit of a plane Hying at great height over the Shetlands.