THOUSAND TON RAID

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 March 1943, Page 3

THOUSAND TON RAID

HEAVY ATTACK MADE BY R.A.F. ON ST. NAZAIRE MAIN ASSAULT IN LITTLE OVER 30 MINUTES. ENEMY DEFENCES SWAMPED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.25 a.m.) RUGBY, March 1. Over a thousand tons of high explosives and incendiaries were dropped On St Nazaire last night by the R.A.F. in a very heavy attack, which achieved a high degree of concentration, the main assault being delivered ip a little over thirty minutes. The Air Ministry states that' the defences appeared to be swamped by the great weight of the attack and little enemy fighter activity was reported. Bombs were also dropped on targets in Western Germany. Five of our bombers are missing. One R.A.F. pilot reports that fires lit up the countryside for 30 miles around. Another pilot said the whole of St Nazaire was a bubbling mass of red flames, when a tremendous explosion occurred. ENEMY PLANE. SHOT DOWN OFF BRITISH COAST. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, March 1. It is officially stated that a FockeWulf 190 was destroyed by one of two Typhoon pilots who spotted it four miles off the south coast of Britain this afternoon.