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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0901.PDF
MARCH 28, 1940 The light railway on the HindenburgDam. Strangely enough, this railway is British owned. batteries on the north coast and an anti-aircraft tower on the Hindenburg Dam. It seems certain that very con- siderable damage has also been done to the dam itself and this may prove to be more important than any of the other hits as it is a light railway along this dam which carries all the supplies to the island. Almost coincident with the arrival home of the last bomber two aircraft were despatched to the scene of opera- tions to view the extent of the damage done. Two Messerschmitt Me 109s put in an appearance but failed to inter- cept our machines. For the first time in the history of all our wars the Prime Minister was able to announce, during a debate in the House of Commons, the progress of the action, and on the next day Sir Kingsley Wood, the Air Minister, made the following statement: During the week the customary "Security Patrols" have been maintained and leaflet raids as far east as Poland have been carried out. On the night of March 19 a considerable number of German aircraft took part in an attack on a British ship- ping convoy off the Scottish coast. The Admiralty communique read : '' Attacks were made this evening by enemy aircraft on a convoy off the Scottish coast. Enemy aircraft were engaged by escorting war- ships. Patrols of the Fleet Air Arm and Coastal Command 281 were active. On one occasion two Fleet Air Arm aircraft attacked and dispersed 10 Heinkels. '' The enemy have claimed that several ships have either been sunk or have suffered serious damage. The fact is that no damage or casualties were incurred by H.M. ships or aircraft. Two small neutral vessels, however, received minor damage." It is understood that the neutral ships damaged were one Norwegian and one Swedish. Photographs from Denmark of a German machine which failed to get home make it evident that the much vaunted Junkers Ju 88s were used for the Scapa Flow raid. sP>tfire of a Scottish squadron tries out its port guns at the stop butts. The noise is shattering and the empty cases and links pour from apertures in the wing.
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