THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 4, 1940
R.A.F. Again Visit Berlin: Leaflets And Flares Dropped
GREETED BY A-A- BATTERIES AND SEARCHLIGHTS
London, To-day.
STALIN RUMOURS UNFOUNDED
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
Moscow, To-day. Rumours that Stalin was III are totally unfounded, it was as- serted here yesterday.
Stalin attended the opera last night with a number of Soviet
seemed in the best spirits. Havas.
AN OUTSTANDING FEATURE of the war in the air has been the long-distance flights over Ger- many by the R.A.F., and a talk on these flights officials and foreign diplomate. He was given by a BBC Observer yesterday. The significance of these flights, carried out by day and by night, lay in the fact that the 'planes flew over fortified or strategic points ranging from Borkum and Sylt to Bremen, Cuxhaven, Hamburg, Prague, Munich and Berlin itself, in flights covering thousands of miles of German territory.
amounted to outpost skirmishes. What is going to happen next? It would be very rash to prophesy."—Reuter.
Becoming A Habit
1
LONDON, TO-DAY.
IT IS AUTHORITATIVELY STAT- ED THAT A NUMBER OF BRITISH
SATURDAY NIGHT, FOR THE
GOEBBELS INVENTS
SOME MORE
Berlin, To-day. Broadcasting at the open- ing of the Leipzig Fair yes- terday, the Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, declared the scales of success were slowly but surely in- clining in favour of Ger- many.
"The Fuehrer cannot conceive, the possibility that we should be defeat- ed in the decisive struggle.
"We are a match for our enemies also in the economic field but let us remember also that in 1918 we did not succumb because our enemies were then economically superior to us. We lost because we
lost our nerve."
BOOSTS HIMSELF Dr. Goebbels declared Germany compared favourably with her enemies
The flights must have been "awkward" for the BOMBERS FLEW OVER BERLIN ON Nazis, who have been constantly and confident- FIFTH TIME IN SIX DAYS, DROP- ly telling the German people that no British PING LEAFLETS AND PARACHUTE in regard to political leaders. 'plane could possibly penetrate German terri-THEIR PRESENCE KNOWN. tory.
A major purpose of the flights was to get useful information about enemy activity-unusual movements of railway trains or of transport by road, which might indicate the speed- ing up of preparations for an offen- sive.
now have Also, British airmen more practical knowledge of the Nazi the anti-aircraft defences and how black-out is working. They also keep a sharp look-out for German war ships and for mine-laying seaplanes.
LEAFLETS IN BERLIN STREETS The pamphlets they dropped might be described as an experiment in education of the German people on the real facts. Hundreds of thousands have been dropped all over Germany,
OFF THE RECORD
"Mrs. Newly
even littering Berlin itself.
the main streets
•
of i
An astonishing feature of the flights was the almost total lack of opposi- tion. Perhaps this was because the Germans did not wish to use all the means at their disposal unless the British 'planes dropped bombs. again, it was possibly that the Nazi fighters are not so effective in the dark. Whatever the reason, the R.A.F. has no cause for complaint!
Or
Meanwhile, the Fighter and Coastal Commands have not been inactive, chasing Nazi bombers, hunting for U-boats and mines and helping the Navy with the convoys. There have been reconnoitring flights German lines.
over the
Concluding, the Observer said:- "So far, the war in the air has only
4ľ'ù just take a minute of your time
Here's Luck
By Ed Reed
Newly and I'll be gone!"
EWO BEER
Tel. 30311
FLARES IN ORDER TO MAKE
"This is why the German nation is confident of victory and the des- Numerous searchlights, ranging intruction of enemies who want the an- colour from bluish white to red and nihilation of our national freedom and yellow, were seen during the flight, who are threatening our life," — Reu- though the searchlights were less active than usual.
Ground batteries outside Berlin opened fire but leaflets were success- fully dropped..
over Berlin
An enemy fighter was seen during the early stages of the flight but no
engagement occurred.
our
The flight lasted 10 hours and all machines returned safely.
Reuter.
ter.
FRENCH AIR FORCE OVER GERMANY
London, To-day.
PARIS, TO-DAY. LIKE THEIR - BRITISH CON- Berlin was visited by the R.A.F. on Saturday night, for the fifth time in FRERES, THE FRENCH AIR FORCE six days. The R.A.F. 'planes, which HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE FAST flew over Nordheim, Sylt and Borkum,DAY OR TWO, FRENCH RECON- meet with intense anti-aircraft fire NAISSANCE PLANES FLYING aided by searchlights.
DEEP OVER GERMANY BY BOTH DAY AND NIGHT.
were
There were several encounters. with one enemy. In the
сабе, а lone French reconnaissance machine ran into 13 Messerschmidt fighters. The French plane managed to wheel and get home safely.
The R.A.F. 'planes were also greet ed with anti-aircraft fire as they flew over Berlin and dropped leaflets and flares to let the Germans know they there. All got home safely, after a 10-hour flight. — Reuter.
FLIGHT OVER SYLT
London, To-day.
⠀ In other flights, they brought down The flight over Berlin lasted 10 two German planes över Allied ter- hours and all the British aircraft re-ritory; these two are in addition to turned safely to their bases.
While on standing patrol over enemy seaplane bases last night airs craft of the R.A.F. Bomber Command encountered intense fire from enemy guns of heavý calibre working in close co-operation with searchlights.
The Germans, however, falled to prevent the patrol carrying out its work and the presence of British air- craft over Sylt, Norderney and Bor- kum again enforced a strict blackout.
On one occasion an enemy twin- engine aircraft was seen in the dis- tance, momentarily caught in the glare of searchlights which previously. had flashed across one of the British bombers. A few lights which were observed at the beginning of the patrol as the were, extinguished as soon R.A.F. aircraft few towards them.
On such patrols each aircraft illes something more
than 800 miles. British Wireless.
RUSH TO JOIN R.A.F.
London, Yesterday. The Air Ministry announces: "More than 13,000 radio enthusiasts have applied for enrolment in the new R.AT trade of radio mechanic announced by the Air Ministry three weeks ago. This magnificent response has exceeded the most san- pectations of the signal ex- FBritish Wire-
the Dornier bomber shot down by an R.A.F.. "Hurricane" on Saturday.
During all these flights and fights, the Allies suffered no losses, although one or two 'planes were damaged. On the other hand, four German Messer- schmidts were shot down by the R.A.F, over German territory, in one of the few combats between fighters.
Reu
ADMIRALS ON
ACTIVE LIST
London, To-day.
The Admiralty announce that the King has approved that in future Admirals of the Fleet shall be borne on the active list of the Royal Navy for life and that those on the retired list be restored to the active list
ל
His Majesty has further approved that promotion to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet be governed by the rule that three but not more than three of the holders of this rank shall be of less than five years seniority in rank.
In consequence the following officers are restored to the active list—- Admiras of the Fleet Sir Henry Oliver, Bir Osmond de H. Brock, Sir Roger Keyes, Sir Frederick Field and Sir Reginald⠀⠀ Tyrwhitt. - British
Vireless.