SUCCESSFUL RAIDS

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21582, 19 November 1941, Page 6

SUCCESSFUL RAIDS

NORTHERN FRANCE ROYAL AIR FORCE ACTIVE t WIDESPREAD DAMAGE (Official Wireless) (Received Nov. 19. 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Nov. 18 An Air Ministry communique states: Our fighters, including some carrying bombs, have been over Northern France today. A factory was bombed and warenouses, a goods train and railway yards were ma-chine-gunned. Off the French coast a small enemy ship was attacked with gunfire. When the vessel was last seen only the funnel was showing above water. One enemy fighter was destroyed. Beaufighters of the Coastal Command this afternoon attacked an enemy patrol vessel off the Dutch coast. Numerous hits were obtained with cannon and machine-gun fire on the bridge and near the en-gine-room. No aircraft is missing from any of these operations. The fighters attacking a number of targets in Northern France destroyed an enemy fighter. Attacks From Low Level A ship of 500 tons was sunk in the Channel, a factory in Northern France was severely damaged, and a Messerschmitt 109 was destroyed by fighters during to-day’s Royal Air Force offensive operations, states the Air Ministry. The ship was found by Spitfires near the French coast. All the aircraft in the formation immediately dived down and opened fire from funnel height one after another. Clouds of steam and smoke at once enveloped the ship, and as the fighters turned away it was seen to be submerged except the funnel. The Messerschmitt was shot down by a squadron patrolling high over the Channel. Other German fighters were severely damaged and are unlikely to have reached their base, but are claimed as only probably destroyed. Meanwhile Beaufighters, each carrying four cannon ayid six machineguns, attacked a German patrol vessel in daylight at sea level near Ijmuiden. The ship was seriously damaged and a large cloud of smoke rising from it was visible 10 miles away. IMPERIAL STAFF SIR JOHN DILL REPLACED SIR A. BROOKE APPOINTED LONDON, Nov. 18 It was announced in London tonight that General Sir Alan Brooke has re-

placed General Sir John Dill as Chief of the Imperial Staff. General Brooke, who was a staff officer in the Great War, has participated in the present struggle and took a prominent part in the evacuation of Dunkirk.

REPORTED SUICIDE GERMAN AIR ACE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrignt) LONDON, Nov. 18 Berlin announced this morning the j death of the German air ace, Gen- : cfal Ernst Udet, “as a result of the ( ; use of firearms.” An earlier report ! stated that he had committed suicide ! while under arrest. Hitler has j ordered a State funeral. ! A report that Udet had committed | suicide was published on July 30. This stated that Udet was detained j after he had vehemently protested j against Hitler's folly in invading j Russia, and that he had been de- ! prived of his command. The Nazis I punished him with typical thoroughj ness and cruelty under the surveilj lance of Himmler’s gun-men. It ' was known, added the report, that | Udet shot himself, leaving letters i which the Gestapo immediately imI pounded. VICHY, Nov. 18 ; The German news agency says that General Udet was killed on November 17 in a flying accident. The j Berlin news agency announced that he was fatally injured when testing a new weapon. ARMING OF SHIPS FIRST FOR BRITISH ISLES UNITED STATES PLANS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrignt) (Received Nov. 19, 3.15 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 Colonel Knox announced that American merchantmen serving the British Isles and Northern Europe will be armed first under the revised neutrality law. The second priority will be given to ships going to the Red Sea, and the third priority to ships in the So.-th Atlantic. COLLISION IN AIR SQUADRON-LEADER KILLED Squadron-Leader S. T. Meares. the I English leader of an American Eagle ! squadron, and Pilot-Officer R. O. ! Scarborough, of California, were kill--led in a collision during a practice flight over Britain. Squadron-Leader Meares v a the • D.F.C. as leader of 28 operations over enemy territory.