BY DAY & NIGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1940, Page 5

BY DAY & NIGHT

AIR FORCE ACTIVITIES IN NORWAY ATTACKS ON ENEMY SHIPS AND PLANES. EVERY NORWEGIAN FIORD EXAMINED. (British Official Wireless and Press Association). RUGBY, April 15. Official communiques issued by llie Air Ministry during last week did not convey the full extent of the work of the Royal Air Force. Reconnaissances' have been conducted by day and night, and every Norwegian fiord which could possibly shelter enemy craft has been examined. While the Navy, has been exerting itself with splendid results which are already known in the northernmost parts of the Norwegian coast, it is -lo the south of Bergen that patrols of the R.A.F. and the Fleet Air Arm have given their attention. The Germans have large numbers of fighters, and would have to be engaged by numbers approaching their own but which would be operating at many times the distance from their bases of the German machines. For the present, more fruitful employment is available for the air forces on the Allied side for operations in the north. R.A.F. reconnaissance flights over northern Germany are, of course, proceedings as usual, and valuable information has been brought back from recent flights. While no information is yet available, it may be assumed that the R.A.F. patrols co-operated, in the landings effected by the British forces. It is understood that the losses suffered by the R.A.F. in these operations over Norway at a great distance from the home bases have been surprisingly low when all relevant factors are taken into account. The Air Ministry announces today that reconnaissances of the Norwegian coast have continued throughout to give the most valuable service. Here it is, too. that enemy transports and ammunition ships have been attacked. At the same time, as planes of the Coastal Command were scouring northern seas to locate those German naval vessels which have thus far escaped destruction by the Royal Navy, longrange fighters were attacking aerodromes in southern Norway, to which the invader has been carrying troop reinforcements. Much damage has been done to the assembled enemy planes and successful attacks have also been made on enemy seaplanes at anchor in the fiords. So far there has been no opportunity for direct air attack against enemy air transports. These are convoyed by day. , At least two German aeroplanes wore sunk at Stavanger today when Ihe aeroplane and seaplane base was raided by Blenheims. The seaplanes were at their moorings when they were machine-gunned by British aircraft. .Shortly afterward the British pilots saw them founder. The Blenheims also dropped heavy bombs on Stavanger aerodrome, adding to the damage done in the previous raids. The attack was made in a snowstorm and the British aircraft had also to fly through cloud and rainstorms for a large part of the North Sea crossing. MUNITIONS CONTRACTS AEETED ORDERS IN CANADA. OTTAWA, April 16. It is authoritatively stated that Britain is placing a 25,000,000-dollar munitions contract in Canada shortly. France is also planning large contracts.