SECOND R.A.F. RAID.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 116, 15 April 1940, Page 7

SECOND R.A.F. RAID.

ST AVAN G IS R A ERODE 0 M E . SUPPLY SHIPS BOMBED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 13. The Royal Air Eorce for the second time has raided the German-occupied airport at Stavanger, Norway. The Air Ministry announces that during yesterday morning aircraft ot the Coastal Command reconnoitred the aerodrome. Salvoes of heavy bombs were dropped, and it is believed extensive damage was done to the hangar and to aircraft on which mechanics were seen to be working. One of the British aircraft was repeatedly attacked by a two-engined enemy fighter which fired several bursts at very close range. The R.A.E. rear gunner, though wounded, continued to lire till the enemy fighter went down in flames. An Admiralty communique states: “Operations against the enemy in Norwegian waters continue. The fleet air arm bombed three enemy supply ships yesterday, blew up a warehouse containing munitions and machine-gunned a motor torpedo-boat. The weather conditions were most unfavourable and one of our ’planes made a forced landing in the sea close to an island. The crew of two were seen to leave the aircraft. The remaining ’planes returned safelv.” ENEMY DESTROYER ATTACKED. The Admiralty announces that an R.A.E. long-range reconnaissance aircraft of the Coastal Command was patrolling the North Sea while cooperating with the naval forces when it ran into a snowstorm and in the thick of it encountered and fought in quick succession a German destroyer and a Dornier 18 flying-boat. It then flew home over 200 miles of sea with a punctured petrol tank that might have caused disaster before its base could be reached. Attacking the destroyer, the pilot dived through the snowstorm and at 1500 ieet opened fire with its front gun, sweeping the decks of the vessel till the aircraft was within 500 feet of its target. Hundreds of rounds of ammunition raked the ship. Immediately afterward the Dornier living-boat appeared. The British pilot did not give the German time to attack but went after it. got on its tail and carried out a devastating attack. The Dornier was riddled with bullets and severely damaged. It finally got away, losing height with both engines on fire and little or no chance of reaching land. Tt was at this point that flic British crew discovered that a shot had pierced the petrol tank of their own aircraft and litel was escaping, so they turned westward and won the race against the leaking tank. PILOT’S TRIALS. The. hazards and difficulties of the air reconnaissance flights along the Norwegian coast are well illustrated by the experiences of a pilot of a Coastal Command aircraft who carried out a long, survey of many miles of fiords and harbours in south-west Norway. On reaching the Norwegian coast the

pilot worked southward, flying up and down every fiord. Only a few bullets struck the ’plane. One came up through the floor near the navigator and another wounded the pilot in tlie head. He disregarded the wound and climbed into the clouds to escape the torrent of bullets. Then the rear gunner shouted a warning that the starboard engine was losing oil. Realising that the engine might seize at any moment, the pilot decided to make full use of his rapidly dimin ishing oil. supply and he only levelled out at 4000 feet; then the damaged engine failed. The wounded pilot made for his base and successfully completed the 350 miles’ sea crossing with one engine and bullet-holes in the wings and tail of the ’plane.