CRIPPLING ATTACKS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 132, 4 May 1940, Page 7

CRIPPLING ATTACKS

FLEET AIR ARM’S SUCCESSES EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WROUGHT © (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph. —Copyright.) Received May 4, 9 a.hi. LONDON, May 3. The successes of the Fleet Air Arm in Norway since April 24, when naval ’planes began to support the land forces, are recounted by the Admiralty, which has signalled to the officeis and men: “Wb are proud of the hleet Air Arm. In the course of operations against a vastly superior Air Force working from shore bases, the Fleet Air Arm destroyed at least ten German ’planes and damaged many others. Naval ’planes on April 25 in force attacked bases and shipping in the Trondheim area, and destroyed at Varnes three hangars and other buildings, and two bombers on the ground, and successfully bombed and machine-gunned nine seaplanes at their moorings. Two tankers were set on fire at Thamshuvn (near Trondheim). ,:;s\ V Naval ’planes on April 28 returned to the attack against Varnes, where all'the remaining hangars and several ’planea on the ground were destroyed. Flying-boats and seaplanes were attacked with excellent results. In the course of these operations five planes were shot down.

HIGH EXPLOSIVE BOMBS. The Admiralty adds: “Operations of this magnitude inevitably involve loss. It is regretted that the crews of six of our ’planes are missing. I\o losses of His Majesty’s ships have occurred since the German invasion of Norway, except those announced, while at least 20 ’planes have been shot down and others damaged by the Eleet’s antiaircraft gunfire.” Yesterday morning’s raid on Stavanger, which was the 23rd made on that base by the B.A.F. and the eighth within 43 hours, was carried out by bombers attacking from altitude (states the British Official Wireless;. High explosive bombs dropped by the leading aircraft were seen by the following sections to register most hits on the aerodrome, playing new havoc with the landing surface. Two German . twin-engined fighters were sighted in. the vicinity of the air base, but they did not attempt to intercept the B.A.F. aircraft, all of which returned safely. In the course of Wednesday’s night operations against Stavanger there was a successful encounter between a Bomber Command aircraft and a German seaplane apparently returning home from a minelaying expedition off the English coast. NAZI SEAPLANE ENGAGED. The captain of the British aircraft said: “The most important thing was to catch the seaplane before it reached its base. A few minutes after the chase began We saw a flare being dropped; no doubt it was a signal to the ground staff to illuminate the water ready for landing. Time seemed to be getting the | better of us. Another flare was dropped, and five miles away we saw the seaplane’s landing place lit up at the same time that the 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 upwards, I was able to let them have a stream of bullets right between the floats. After a final atlack was carried out at close range the seaplane, now only 1000 ft above the water, tipped over on the starboard side and rapidly fell to the sea.”