NUMEROUS FIRES

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

NUMEROUS FIRES

SEQUEL TO BOMBINGS. DANISH BASE ATTACKED. Received May 4, 10 a.m. LONDON, May 3. , The Air Ministry states that th© Royal Air Force heavily and sucoessiully bombed the Danish air base in North Jutland used by' the Germans in connection with the operations in Norway. A strong concentration of German aircraft was subjected to two attacks by British bombers, which straddled the aerodrome and surrounding woods with high explosives and incendiary bombs. Innumerable fires enveloped the air base in a deep pall of smoke. Stavanger and Fornebu were also bombed. . Numerous ’planes are engaged ,in protecting the convoy transporting the British forces from Andalsnes. No ’planes have been lost. DANISH BASES RAIDED. The Air Ministry announced this afternoon that the large Danish airfield at Ry lying in open country on the shore ot Lake Salten, and at Langso in the north of Jutland, and known to be used extensively by the enemy in connection with the operations in Norway, had been heavily and successfully bombed by K.A.b. airI craft, states the British Official Wireless. The attacks began yesterday evening and continued during the night. A dayl.ght attack was also made on Stavanger on Thursday, and both this base and Fornebu (Oslo) were also bombed during the night The conynunique ended: “Numerous R.A.F. aircraft were engaged tiuoughout yesterday in providing protection against air attack for the convoy transporting the British military forces from Andalsnes. No British aircraft were lost in any of these operations.” The attacks on Ity, announced by the Air Ministry, were the first on this nest of enemy air transports.. A strong concentration of aircraft dispersed around the landing ground was subjected to two separate attacks, first in the half light of the late evening and second aiter dark. More than 21) aircraft could be seen on the first approach. BLAZING WOODS. “Traversing the aerodrome from east to west singly and in quick succession the first section of raiders dropped their load of explosive 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, set- , ting two enemy machines alight. Hits were registered in all parts of the landing area and as the last of the attackers drew off fires were seen to have broken out on three sides of the aerodrome, while the surrounding woods were alight and blazing fiercely.” SECOND ATTACK AT NIGHT. A few minutes later the rearguard of the attacking force was in action.. Continuous bursts of their high explosives and incendiary bombs straddling the aerodrome and woods added to the blazing confusion on tne ground below. A deep pall of flame-riddled , smoke now enveloped the air base. Fifty miles from tlie 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 it an ammunition dump or petrol store had blown up. No enemy aircraft were seen during the raid, and though heavy pom-pom and machine-gun fire was encountered over the target area, none of the British aircraft was hit. The second phase of the attack on Ry took place soon after dark and ceased two hours after the first raiding force had left. Converging on the aerodrome singly and from different directions, the night raiders bombed their target at intervals for nearly 30 minutes, attacking from various heights. Two hits were registered in the north-west corner of the aerodrome and a heavy bomb was seen to burst just short of the main hangar. A salvo of three straddled the northern boundary of the target. Numerous explosions occurred in "the woods and new fires were seen to break out. Tha opposition from the ground defences was again ineffective and all the British aircraft returned to their bases.