MATCHLESS COURAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 May 1940, Page 5

MATCHLESS COURAGE

EXHIBITED BY BRITISH AIRMEN I CEASELESS ATTACKS & RAIDS IN FRANCE AND GERMANY. HEAVY DAMAGE DONE BEHIND ENEMY LINES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY, May 20. The Air Ministry announced this evening: “Bomber aircraft of the R.A.F. maintained pressure on the enemy lines of communication last night. Oil refineries in North-West Germany were also successfully attacked. South of Brussels operations were carried out against rail-

way stations and bridges. “A railway bridge at Roux sustained a direct hit. Damage was done to rolling stock and the permanent way. Tank concentrations were attacked in the Aisne sector. Near Sedan a lorry park was set on fire. In all these operations, involving a large number of R.A.F. bombers, only two have failed to return, in spite of intense enemy anti-aircraft fire.

“An aerodrome at Vaernes, north of Trondheim, was also successfully attacked last night. A large number of enemy aircraft standing out on the aerodrome were repeatedly bombed and machine-gunned by relays of Hudson aircraft. Much damage is believed to have been done. Seven fires were started. DEEDS OF THE FIGHTERS. “From our fighter aircraft, day by day, come stories of matchless courage. All day long they are called upon to engage superior forces of the enemy and to drive off formations of bombers, which continually harass the Allied troops, and attack their fighter escort. From ( almost every 'engagement, they return having inflicted heavy losses on the enemy and immediately take oil again to renew the struggle. “Thus, in patrols over France and Belgium yesterday, one squadron of Hurricanes sighted over 100 enemy aircraft. In a series* of combats they disposed of eleven, eight of which were enemy fighters. One young pilot who took on four Heinkel Ill’s one after another, destroyed three of them. Reports so far received confirm that 30 enemy aircraft were destroyed by the R.A.F. yesterday and that many others were heavily damaged. Victories against such odds are not won without loss. Fourteen of our fighters are missing. RAIDS ON OIL DEPOTS. “Further details are now available concerning the operations carried out by aircraft of the Bomber Command on Saturday night against oil storage tanks near Hanover and railway junctions at Cologne. During the early part of that day, strong forces of bombers carried out harrassing daylight attacks on enemy troops advancing on the French battlefield. This pressure was sustained during last night by a further series of successful bombing raids on troop concentrations, aerodromes and lines of communications over a wide area. “Daylight raids, the object of which was to impede the progress of reinforcements advancing on land for the “Battle of the Bulge” were carried out by a force of Blenheim bombers in face of determined opposition from enemy fighters and gun batteries. Individual attacks on their targets were made by the British aircraft, each machine dropping high explosive bombs from fifteen hundred feet with devastating precision. Direct hits were registered on a motorised column. Houses on either side of the main road collapsed across the highway, warehouses beside the railway were demolished and several large buildings adjacent to an important river and road crossing were hit and set on fire.

“The objective of a night raid which followed included large oil tanks at Misburg, a few miles from Hanover, and important roads and bridges behind the enemy’s lines at Gembloux, Givet, Dinant and Namur. The attack on storage tanks began shortly before midnight and before the last raider left, about two hours later, fires and explosions made« evident the success of the bombardment. High explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped and a large number of direct hits were registered. One of the raiders reported having seen on his way home oil tanks at Bremen, which were bombed on Friday night, still well alight. The flames could be seen some miles away.”

BRITISH AIRCRAFT FIGHTING AT HEAVY ODDS. ENEMY’S DISPROPORTIONATE LOSSES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) LONDON. May 20. The Air Ministry states that 14. A. F. bombers destroyed over 30 German planes yesterday. Sixteen of our planes are missing. A squadron of 11 Hurricanes engaged an armada of 90 bombers and 21 fighters on the Western Front. The Hurricanes shot down three bombers and eight fighters. The others made off without dropping their bombs. Seven Hurricanes have not returned.