RAID ON KIEL

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21369, 13 March 1941, Page 7

RAID ON KIEL

DAMAGE TO DOCKS OTHER CENTRES HIT PLANES SHOT DOWN (Official Wireless) (Received March 13. noon) RUGBY, March 12 An Air Ministry communique states: Last night aircraft cf the Bomber Command successfully attacked Kiel, and heavy explosions and the glare of a large fire were observed. The docks at Bremerhaven and two aerodromes in North-west Germany were also bombed, as well as an oil storage plant at Rotterdam and a factory near Utrecht. In the course of offensive night patrols aircraft of the Fighter Command destroyed an enemy craft on an aerodrome in Northern France. Aircraft of the Coastal Command on patrol yesterday destroyed an enemy aircraft. None of our planes is missing from any of these operations. While making out reports of an action with a Heinkel, which was engaged when it was endeavouring to attack a convoy, the crew of a Coastal Command bomber learned that the enemy machine, which they last saw making off into the darkness alter the rear gunner had sent a stream into the fuselage, had crashed in the sea. Flares and a distress signal were seen and a naval vessel found the wrecked enemy aircraft when it went out to investigate. A Heinkel 59 seaplane was also destroyed off the Danish coast by a Hudson of the Coastal Command, which closed the range to 100 yards before forcing the enemy down. The Heinkel landed in the sea and sank quickly, while the Hudson circled overhead looking for survivors. Great Damage To Docks Describing last night’s attack on Kiel, the Air Ministry news service states that aircraft of the Bomber Command flew through thick cloud until they reached the Friesian Islands. There the sky cleared and very soon the ground was moonlit so that pilots were able to make their way to Germany. Kiel was visible from a distance of 50 miles. At Kiel docks the town stood out in such sharp relief that the pilots could see that some of the small creeks were ice-bound, though the main waterways were clear. In spite of a concentrated barrage from this well-defended naval base,' the pilots took their time and many were over the targets for over half an hour. In the clear weather great care was taken to ensure hitting the target and leave no doubt about the result. Many sticks of bombs were seen to burst on the shipbuilding yard, as on the other docks. One pilot counted five bursts right across the docks, the first one exactly at the water’s edge. In the shipbuilding yard a large explosion followed the bombing and there was an extensive fire in the industrial centre of the city. Attacks were also made on Bremerhaven, where a number of warehouses were hit and soon afterwards volumes of smoke rose high into the air. PLANE DOWN IN SEA CREW INTERNED IN EIRE BOMBS IN DONEGAL (United Press Assn.—Elec Tel. Copyright) (Received March 13, noon) DUBLIN, March 12 It is officially announced that a British plane came down in the sea this morning in the neighbourhood of Galway City. Two members of the crew baled out and were interned. Bombs were dropped from an unidentified plane early this morning, near Dardonagh, County Donegal.