CONVOY BOMBED

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21361, 4 March 1941, Page 6

CONVOY BOMBED

I VESSEL TORPEDOED BRITISH FLIERS’ SUCCESS BREST DOCKS DAMAGED (Omclal Wireless) (Received March 4, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, March 3 I An Air Ministry communique states: Aircraft of the Coastal Command yesterday attacked a convoy of enemy supply ships in the North Sea. In the course of the attack a vessel lof about 2000 tons was torpedoed ■ amidships. Aircraft of the Bomber Command I attacked a seaplane base, also enemy 1 shipping, off the Shetland Islands. Last night aircraft of the Bomber Command successfully attacked the docks at Brest. Sticks of bombs ; were observed to straddle the docks, ;at which a cruiser of the Hipper class was berthed. Several direct hits were observed on the dock side. Two large explosions were observed on the dock, and | two explosions were heard just after leaving the target. Aircraft attacked aerodromes in occupied territory. Two British aircraft of the Bomber Command are missing. Bombed for Two Hours The docks at Brest, from which surface raiders and submarines attack British shipping in the Atlantic, were heavily bombed for nearly two hours by aircraft of the Bomber Command, states the Air Ministry news service. The attack began soon after 8.30 p.m. The sky was clear and many sticks of bombs were seen to burst about the dry dock, where a German cruiser of the Hipper class was recently located. No direct hits on the cruiser were actually seen, but several pilots reported that their bombs must either have fallen on the vessel or so close as to damage it. ! Certainly the docks themselves : suffered very badly. One pilot was guided on the last 25 miles of the outward journey by an especially big blaze. As the raid developed the weather grew worse, and later arrivals had to be cor tent not only with searchlights all round the harbour and fierce anti-aircraft fire but also with thick cloud, which more often than not nid the results of their hpmbing. The docks at Calais and Ijmuiden were also bombed, and at Rotterdam one pilot, bombing through a clear patch of sky, started a lire among tall buildings in the harbour. “HITLER’S MISTAKE” TIME BOMB ON EXHIBITION NEARLY £3O RAISED DAILY (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, March 2 Named “Hitler’s mistake,” a 12ft. bomb which failed to explode when dropped in an East Anglian town has proved a most efficient collector of l money. j Exhibited by air raid precaution ! workers, this bomb, which is one of | the largest dropped in Britain, has raised nearly £3O daily. EMPIRE TROOPS NONE LOST ON JOURNEY NEW ZEALANDERS ARRIVE (United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, March 3 Not a single soldier has so far lost his life in travelling to Britain, states an announcement which also reveals that a few days ago further Canadian detachments arrived. I These included anti-aircraft crews j and soldiers from many parts of | Canada as well as men from Britain, ; Canada, Australia, New Zealand and 1 Holland, who have been working under the air training scheme.