RAIDS ON CONVOYS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 August 1940, Page 6

RAIDS ON CONVOYS

BAD DAY FOR GERMAN PLANES BRITAIN GIVES FULL FACTS REFUTATION OF GERMAN LIES. MORE FICTION FROM ENEMY HIGH COMMAND. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.23 a.m.) RUGBY, August 2. An Air Ministry bulletin contains details amplifying this afternoon’s communique announcing the R.A.F. raid on Cherbourg yesterday. Direct nits, it states, wrecked hangars, and heavy explosions followed the Blenheims’ salvos. There was a large number of enemy aircraft on the aerodrome and bombs burst among them and others pitted the landing ground. Barrack blocks in another corner of the airfield were damaged. One pilot, having dropped all his bombs, mach-ine-gunned German aircraft on the ground. Just before the R.A.F. bombers reformed for the return journey, one dived to 50 feet and put bursts into the German ground defences. Only one German fighter appeared. It followed the Blenheims for a mile or two as they flew home, but only a few shots were exchanged. Anti-aircraft fire was intense throughout the action, and some of it from coastal batteries followed the formationUor several miles out to sea on the return journey.

Once again the German High Command communique referring to this raid has had to resort to a quite fictitious account. They claim that. “Through our fighters going up in time and heavy anti-aricraft fire, they succeeded in bringing down all eight enemy planes—three by Messerschmitts and five by anti-aircraft fire.” As already announced only three of our bombers are missing.