BATHE OF AIR

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21370, 14 March 1941, Page 6

BATHE OF AIR

SPRING OFFENSIVE BRITISH HIT GERMANY ONSLAUGHT ON LIVERPOOL {United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 14, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, March 13 The long-awaited and possibly crucial spring battle of the air began last night with unprecedented ferocity. Britain hit Germany with the weightiest attack ever undertaken by the Royal Air Force. The cities attacked included Berlin, which had its first raid for 82 days, Bremen, Hamburg, and Bremerhaven. The luftwafTe attempted a similar onslaught and chose Liverpool as its main target. The attack was prolonged and heavy but the Germans lost no fewer than nine planes without achievany any results comparable with the magnitude of the effort. The casualties were comparatively light. The Germans made a wide-scale attack in the Merseyside area. Liverpool was the centre of attack. The first raiders arrived soon after dark and were overhead every few minutes for several hours. Flying to a iieight at which their engines could be heard only faintly, the raiders dropped bombs indiscrimately. High explosives shattered many houses, and a number of people were trapped in the debris. Three fire-watchers, three air raid wardens and two policemen were buried when a benb hit a school. A number of auxiliary firemen were killed when a heavy-calibre bomb exploded in the centre of a fire which they were fighting" among commercial buildings. Fire-watchers dealt effectively with showers of incendiary bombs, but some fires flared up. The German Version A German communique states: Throughout the *whole of last night, which was moonlit, several hundred bombers in a series of waves attacked harbour works at Liverpool and Birkenhead with very great success. The Berlin News Agency says the destruction at Liverpool will exceed that at Coventry. Grain warehouses at Birkenhead, particularly, suffered. A large mill was severely damaged, and slaughterhouses and cold storage depots on the Merseyside were destroyed. A German communique states: The enemy c>opped a large number of exlosives and fire bombs in the North German coastal region and Berl£i and damaged a number of buildings in the residential quarters, including churches .and hospitals. Inconsiderable damage was done to one industrial plant. A factory at Bremen was damaged and 24 people were killed and 66 injured. An attache at the United States Embassy at Berlin states that the American Consulate at Hamburg was hit. There were no casualties.

RAID ON CALAIS enemy aerodrome attacked BRITISH PATROLS SUCCESSFUL (Ofnclal Wireless) (Received March 14, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, March 13 An official communique states: Soon after mid-day today aircraft of the Fighter Command escorted a squadron of bombers across the Channel to attack the Germanoccupied aerodrome at Calais. Bombs were seen to burst on the aerodrome and among aircraft dispersed at one end of it. Other fighters carried out offensive patrols over the Channel and Northern France during the afternoon and destroyed an enemy fighter. An enemy bomber which crossed the south coast later in the afternoon was promptly intercepted and shot down into the sea by British fighters. From these operations one British fighter aircraft is missing. SUCCESS OF PATRIOTS OCCUPATION OF POST BRITISH SURPRISE ENEMY (Ofnclal Wireless) (Received March 14. 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, March 13 An official communique issued at Nairobi states: It is now confirmed that patriot forces have occupied Yavello, 70 miles north of Mega. The patriots are following up the enemy's retreat in co-operation with our forces from Dolo. In Italian Somaliland British forces surprised the enemy at Daghabur, a post 100 miles south of Jigjig, and captured some prisoners and the lorries in which they were preparing to leave. An Arab dhow approached Mogadiscio yesterday with a cargo for the Italian garrison. It attempted to escape when it realised that the port is in British hands, but with the cooperation of the Air Force it was quickly intercepted and captured. ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS REDUCTION IN SIZE ANOTHER CUT SHORTLY {United Pre.ss A^n.—Eler. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 14, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON. March 13 The Newsprint Supply Council announces that the penny daily papers after March 16 will have three four-page and three six-page papers weekly. A further übstantial cut will be necessary probably in the middle of April.