FRIDAY’S AIR RAID

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 February 1940, Page 5

FRIDAY’S AIR RAID

DAMAGE TO BRITISH SHIPS TWO NAVAL TRAWLERS LOST. OTHER VESSELS HELPED INTO PORT. ■ By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 'Phis Day, 9.55 a.m.) LONDON, February 11. An enemy plane dropped 12 to 16 bombs near the Boston Trader, which was damaged, in shipping raids on Friday. The plane also encircled the ship, machine-gunning the crew, two of whom were slightly injured. 'The Gallia was mined on the southeast coast, but remained afloat. Lifeboatmen helped to tow her to a safe anchorage. Two naval trawlers were lost. The unarmed British merchantmen Cliftonia (.3106 tons) and Boston Trader (371 tons), the mudhopper Foremost and several trawlers were damaged. All reached port. The Germans used aerial torpedoes in addition to bombs and machineguns. Trawlers arriving in port have brought stories of the typical courage with which the mon manning Britain’s little ships faced the repeated attacks from planes diving from Hie shelter of low clouds. One enemy plane engaged in the raid was shot down and two others were damaged so seriously that they were unlikely to reach home. A GERMAN REPORT (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) LONDON. February IL The German High Command claims that their air force continued reconnaissance activity over Britain yesterday and that one British patrol vessel was sunk. All the aeroplanes returned safely. A message from Berlin says the High Command stated that British planes yesterday tried to penetrate the Heligoland Bight area but were repulsed.