AIR OFFENSIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 October 1941, Page 5

AIR OFFENSIVE

CONTINUED IN SPITE OF GALE DAY AND NIGHT OPERATIONS. ' SOUTH & SOUTH-WEST GERMANY BOMBED. LONDON, October 20. In spite of a heavy gale raging ever the Straits of Dover, further fighter sweeps were made by the R.A.F. over the Channel and Northern (France yesterday. Last night British bombers attacked south and south-west Germany and/aerodromes in France were also attacked at night. An Italian communique reports that Comiso, in Sicily, was bombed by the R.A.F. last night. RAIDS ON FRANCE NEW ZEALAND PILOT’S EXPLOIT. MESSERSCHMITT DESTROYED & ANOTHER DAMAGED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 29. Fighter Command pilots in Am-erican-built Havoc aircraft paid visits to German-occupied aerodromes in northern France during last night. One aerodrome near Abbeville was bombed three times in two hours with both high explosives and incendiaries. In the first attack on this aerodrome six fires were started, one burning green and very bright. In the last attack high explosive bombs were seen to burst on the runway. The Havocs, returned safely. One of the Spitfire pilots in the daylight sweeps over France on Tuesday was a New Zealander, Pilot Officer Pennel, who bagged one Messerschmitt and seriously damaged another. He was returning to his base when he sighted two Messerschmitts. A short burst from the Spitfire and one dropped, trailing black smoke. The second Messerschmitt broke away, but Pilot Officer Pennel dived after him, getting in a long burst before the enemy was lost in the haze. Then, while turning to his base, Pilot Officer Pen- 1 nel almost collided with the pilot of the first Messerschmitt, who was floating down by parachute. ITALIAN TRAIN BLOWN UP BY R.A.F. BOMBERS. STATION & BRIDGE DAMAGED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 28. In Southern Italy yesterday R.A.F. medium bombers attacked a goods train near Cotrone and blew it up, says an R.A.F. Middle East communique. A railway station and railway bridge in the vicinity sustained direct hits. The bombers all returned' safely. NAZI PLANE DESTROYED OVER BRITAIN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 29. An official communique states that before midnight last night a few enemy aircraft dropped bombs at points in south-west England. Some damage was caused and a small number of casaulties were reported in one place. One enemy aircraft was destroyed. AIR MINISTRY REPORT (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY, October 29. An Air Ministry communique states: “In a northerly gale four-engined aircraft of the Bomber Command last night penetrated far into Germany, attacking objectives in the 4 south and south-west. Docks at Cherbourg were also bombed. “Fighter Command aircraft, on an offensive patrol, attacked enemy aerodromes in Northern France. “None of our aircraft are missing."