AIR FORCE ABROAD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1940, Page 5

AIR FORCE ABROAD

CALLS MADE ON VIENNA & PRAGUE SOME ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE ENCOUNTERED, ALL MACHINES RETURN SAFELY. (British Official Wireless and Press Association). LONDON, February 25. The Air Ministry announces: “Royal Air Force aircraft again successfully completed a flight over Prague on Friday night.” This is the second time the R.A.F. his visited the Czech capital since the outbreak of the Avar and the third time British airmen have succeeded in penetrating as far as Bohemia without suffering any casualties. The “Sunday Despatch” says that the reconnaissance planes dropped parachute flares when only 2000 feet over the giant Skoda armament works in Pilsen (Bohemia), also the Bren gun factories in Brno. One pilot said: “The Nazis thought Ave were carrying out a large-scale attack on the armament Avorks, and they closed down three radio stations for several hours, but we were merely letting them know Ave called.” In the raid on Thursday night reconnaissance bombers were over Bohemia and dropped leaflets on Vienna. Though no official announcement is yet made, it may be assumed that the R.A.F. dropped leaflets for the Czech population again last night. A Canadian pilot Avho took part in Friday's flight over Austria, in an interview with Press correspondents said: "Vienna looked lovely in the moonlight, and we ' descended before dropping our leaflets. As we returned we took a look at Munich. Our flight lasted more than nine hours and covered more than 2000 miles, and it was uneventful apart from some activity near Munich. “We took Avith us barley sugar, chewing-gum. chocolates, and a flask of hot coffee.”

Coloured flares were dropped “just as a sort of visiting card” over Filsen. Prague was the objective of the “bomphlet” attack, and while our machine dropped a load of leaflets directly over the city others let theirs go to windward in order to make sure they arrived well in the centre of the town. One crew was composed entirely of n.c.o’s or aircraftmen, the machine being piloted by two ser-geant-pilots. The pilots reported that the objectives were easily reached, though some anti-aircraft fire was encountered.

In addition to the flights over Austria and Bohemia on Thursday night and Czechoslovakia on Friday night. R.A.F. planes have flown over Heligoland Bight and north-west Germany, a Daventry message reports. This time they met with opposition. Six separate attacks were beaten off. One R.A.F. plane was attacked by five Messerschmitts. All the British planes returned safely.

SIX ATTACKS REPULSED BY BRITISH MACHINES. FLIGHTS OVER HELIGOLAND & GERMANY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, February 25. The Air Ministry announces: Aircraft of the on Saturday carried out reconnaissance flights over the Heligoland Bight and North-West Germany. One of our aircraft was attacked by five Messerschmitts. Having repulsed six separate attacks, our aircraft returned home safely, after completing their task.