AIR OPERATIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 February 1940, Page 6

AIR OPERATIONS

WORK OF THE BRITISH SQUADRONS EXTENDED OVER LAND & SEA. ENEMY MINE-LAYING CHECKED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day. 10.35 a.m.) LONDON. February 26. Hitherto unrevealed results of air activity in the first six weeks of this year can now be disclosed. The sowing of magnetic mines has greatly decreased, due partly to British bombers . maintaining a “standing patrol” over enemy seaplane bases in the Frisian Islands and partly to bad weather, but contributory causes may be a shortage of mines and German disappointment at the results from those laid. Moreover, the activities of the standing patrol, which have prevented seaplanes taking off and returning, apparently have resulted in the seaplane bases being moved back to the Baltic. It can now be stated that the enemy raids against shipping on January 29 and 30 and also on February 3 and 9 followed on reconnaissance flights on January 29, when the enemy found Britain snowbound, from which cause he was able to presume that many British fighter aerodromes would be unserviceable.

At least six enemy machines were shot down during the raids. It is stated that the enemy on January J and January 29 attacked one of his Majesty's ships at the Shetlands. No damage was done. The enemy made several attacks on convoys, but these were unsuccessful. The damage was confined to isolated vessels or unescorted groups of'two or three small ships. The Bomber Command, among other flights, macle photographic reconnaissances of great value over the Lower Rhine, the German approaches to the Belgian and Dutch frontiers, and the Ruhr. Coastal Command machines sighted and bombed nine submarines, two of which were each sighted thrice on the same day and forced to submerge each time.

Three hundred and ten convoys received air escort by day in the course of the six weeks. .Not a single ship was sunk.