FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1940
1940 - 1344.PDF
MAY g, 1940 OFFICIAL War Communique No. 1, issued on September4th, 1939, the second day of the war, stated that a suc-cessful attack had been carried out during the afternoon by units of the Royal Air Force on vessels of the German Fleet at Wilhelmshaven and at Brunsbiittel, at the entrance to the Kiel Canal. The R.A.F. had struck, and struck hard. That Kiel raid by Wellingtons and Blenheims of the Bomber Command gave Germany the first taste of the medicine which was later to be administered in even stronger doses. The fre- quency of these has been governed by the mutual adoption of a policy which has spared industrial targets and civilian life, though one can never tell when this will be abandoned by Germany. There is no need here to recount in detail the exploits of air- craft of the Bomber Command—the early leaflet raids and deep reconnaissance flights under appalling weather conditions; "Security Patrols" over the bases of Germany's minelaying seaplanes; the destruction of twelve Messerschmitt fighters for the loss of seven Wellingtons; the plastering of Sylt with forty- five tons of bombs in a night; and the repeated long-distance raids over-Norway. These deeds, and scores besides, are fresh in the public mind and evergreen among the honours of the Service. The Bomber Command comprises squadrons equipped mainly with Vickers Wellington, Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, Handley Page Hampden and Hereford, and Bristol Blenheim
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
