AIR ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 May 1940, Page 5

AIR ATTACKS

ON BASES IN NORWAY & DENMARK KEPT UP WITH INCREASING VIGOUR. -ENEMY'SUFFERS HEAVILY AT HANDS OF R.A.F. Raids by the R.A.F. on the Ger-man-occupied air bases in Norway and Denmark have been continued with increasing vigour in the last 24 hours, Daventry reports. More attacks have been made on Stavanger and Fornebu and on yet another German air base in Denmark, Ry, on a lake in Central Jutland, besides extensive patrols over the Frisian Islands. The attacks on Ry, which were made in the evening and continued during the night, were successful. This base is known to havet k(een used extensively for the campaign in Norway. In the first attack on Ry, which was made at dusk, twenty Germany planes were seen on the ground. A salvo of bombs dropped by the leading British plane set many of the planes on fire. The aerodrome was soon alight on three sides and the adjoining woods were blazing fiercely. A vivid flash was seen later and a terrific explosion, as if an ammunition dump had been blown up. The second attack took place after dusk and many new fires were started.

Two raids were made on Stavanger, one during the day and another in the night, and on the latter occasion Fornebu Aerodrome was also bombed. After the raids on Stavanger the aerodrome looked like a gigantic blazing horseshoe. The first forces met with some opposition, but this was overcome and British planes arriving later encountered no opposition. In a flight over the Frisian Islands, one of our planes was attacked by three German fighters. In a fierce battle the rear gunner of the British machine was killed, but not before he had shot down one of the enemy fighters. The pilot and navigator of the British plane were both wounded, but they succeeded in bringing their plane safely back to its base. Many other British planes were engaged in other duties, including the protection of the British convoy from Andalsnes. BOMBERS BUSY HAVOC WROUGHT ON DANISH AIRBASE. MANY FIRES STARTED. (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) LONDON, May 3. The Air Ministry stated that the R.A.F. heavily and successfully bombed a Danish airbase in North Jutland, used by the Germans in connection with their operations-in Norway. A strong concentration of German aircraft was subjected to two attacks. British bombers straddled the aerodrome and surrounding woods with high explosives and incendiary bombs. Innumerable fires enveloped the airbase in a deep pall of smoke. Stavanger and Fornebu were also bombed and numerous planes were engaged in protecting the convoy transporting the British forces from Andalsnes. No planes were lost. PROTEST BY NORWAY MORE BOMBING OF HOSPITAL SHIPS. WITH SERIOUS LOSS OF LIFE. STOCKHOLM. May 3. The Norwegian Government has notified the International Red Cross at Geneva that German aeroplanes again bombed hospital ships in Norwegian waters causing serious loss of life among the doctors and nurses. ONLY A SIDESHOW SIR T. BLAMEY ON CAMPAIGN IN NORWAY. SYDNEY, May 3. Addressing the New South Wales Institute of Journalists today, General Sir Thomas Blarney, commanding the Australian forces, said the Allies apparently did not intend to get tied up in a sideshow in Norway. "To win the war Germany must defeat Britain and France in the west, and she cannot do that while the Maginot Line and the North Sea lie between her and the Allies.”

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