POUNDED PROM ABOVE.

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

POUNDED PROM ABOVE.

GERMAN AERODROMES. GROUND OPPOSITION. (British Official Wireless ) RUGBY. May 2. Continuing the systematic destruction of the enemy’s principal air bases in Norway. aircraft of the R.A.F. Bomber Command raided Stavanger aerodrome again on Wednesday afternoon and in the early hours of this morning. Fornebu and Aalborg were also raided for the second night in succession, and considerable damage was inflicted on both aerodromes. To-day’s was the twentythird raid on Stavanger and the eighth within 48 hours. The first aircraft to reach the target encountered no opposition, but the later arrivals found the ground defences ready to receive them, and each release of bombs was the signal for an intense barrage from the batteries round the borders of the aerodrome The gunfire was synchronised with searchlights, and there was a complete black-out before and after each aircraft launched its attack. Despite the intensity of the fire no British aircraft was hit. Fornebu air base, near Oslo, was subjected to a heavy bombardment by aircraft which attacked singly at intervals and baffled the defences by launching attacks from varying heights.. Fine weather facilitated the task of the bombers, and, in addition to repeated hits on the aerodrome, three large fires, two at the north end and one at the south end. were started by incendiary bombs. HEA\ t Y DAMAGE. Anti-aircraft fire and searchlight activity were intense, but, instead of searching for 'individual aircraft, the searchlight beams came up in fixed positions, converging over the centre of the aerodrome in an attempt to blind the bombers and confuse their aim. One British aircraft sustained a direct hit from a small calibre shell, but none of the crew was injured and the aircraft returned safely to its base. Strong opposition from the ground defences was also encountered by the British force which raided the aerodrome at Aalborg (Denmark) in the early hours of this morning, but again the R.A.F. aircraft were successful in reaching their objective and inflicting heavy damage on the air base. In the course of this raid one British bomber was intercepted and attacked by a Messcrsclnnitt 110 twinengined fighter, which, after flying on a parallel course to the bomber for several minutes, turned in behind its tail and opened fire from astern. The British rear-gunner returned the fire, and as the enemy fighter sheered off to one side two more Messersehmitt 110’s appeared on the scene, one attempting an attack on the bomber. Under the fire of the British rear gunner. however, the Messersehmitt broke off the engagement, and tlie enemy fighters dispersed.