PUT TO FLIGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1941, Page 5

PUT TO FLIGHT

NAZI FIGHTER-BOMBERS OVER ENGLAND BOMBS EXPLODE IN FIELDS. NORWEGIAN SHIP SHOOTS DOWN ENEMY PLANE. An R.A.F. fighter patrol, states the 8.8. C., put to flight a formation of Messerschmitt fighter-bombers over a south-east coastal district. The enemy planes hurriedly dropped their bombs, which fell in fields, and within a few minutes were flying back across the Channel. Two suddenly swung back towards a town on the coast, but were beaten back by anti-aircraft gun fire. Yesterday there was little enemy activity over the Channel and south-east England. A Norwegian ship shot down a twin-engine German machine which attacked her.

LONDON RAIDED STEADY STREAM OF PLANES. NO VERY EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. (By Telegraph—PreSs Association—Copyright) LONDON. March 10. Dropping flares, incendiary bombs and high explosive bombs, a steady stream of enemy raiders visited London early tonight. Over 200 firebombs fell in one London area. Men and women rushed out with sandbags and extinguished all the fires. Raiders flew over the suburbs at the rate of two every five minutes. Explosives damaged shops, houses, offices and stores in one south coast town. There were some casualties. The Royal Air Force raided the Boulogne area. The Air Ministry communique on last night’s raids states that they were mainly on London and the home counties. Damage was done at a number of points on the south coast but was nowhere very extensive. Bombs were also dropped on a>few localities elsewhere in England and in the north east of Scotland. Casualties during the night were not numerous. INCENDIARY BOMBS FIRE PREVENTION ORGANISATION TIGHTENING UP UNDER WAY. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 9. The promptitude and efficiency with which incendiary bombs have been dealt with during the enemy raids has resulted in the prevention of many fires which might have proved serious. While recording the satisfactory progress of the organisation of fire prevention in the London area, a circular issued by the Ministry of Home Security states that for still further efficiency all boroughs and district councils in the London civil defence regions have been instructed to report on the arrangements that have been made for fire-bomb fighting throughout their areas. The circular emphasises that the members of fire parties should be invited to assume the obligations of civil defence volunteers if they have not done so by undertaking to give at least 48 hours a month to the work of fire prevention—not merely at their own homes, but wherever they are ’required by the local authorities. ,

GERMAN BOAST WILL FINISH WAR BEFORE END OF YEAR. . ATTACK AGAINST BRITAIN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) MADRID. March 9. The newspaper “A.8.C.” publishes a statement by the German Minister of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment, 1 Dr. Goebbels, to foreign correspondents in Berlin that “Germany will finish the war before the end of the year. The attack against England will be inexorably carried out when the weather is sufficiently favourable.” The “A.8.C.” simultaneously displays a description ,of Britain’s formidable defences.

EFFECTIVE REPLY NORWEGIAN SHIH'S SUUUtSS. ATTACKING PLANE SMASHED. (Received This Day. 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY. March 10. When a Norwegian merchant ship was attacked with machine-guns and bombs by a twin-engined German aircraft, a prompt and effective reply was , made from the defensive armament of the ship. The aircraft flew about 200 yards then dived steeply, exploding and bursting into flames, as it hit the water. When the ship reached the spot where the aircraft crashed there was nothing to be seen but a patch of oil on the water.

The ship suffered no damage and the only casualty was one person slightly wounded by a machcine-gun bullet.

HOT ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN BRITISH TRAWLER AND HEINKEL. PLANE ON FIRE AND SEEN DIVING TOWARDS SEA. (Received This Day. 11.40 a.m.) RUGBY. March 10. An Admiralty communique states: "A Heinkel 111 was hotly engaged and almost certainly destroyed on Saturday by his Majesty's trawler Nadine. Visibility was poor and the Heinkel was not actually seen to crash but was last seen on fire and diving out of control towards the sea. No casualties were sustained on the Nadine.”