Evening star., 1939-09-05
Two Vessels Are Hit
In Daring Daylight
Raid on Nazi Base
London Reports
First Bombing
Was Successful
n the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, Sept. 5.-Great Britain's
first blow at Germany-a spectacular
bombing raid against the German
fleet-was declared officially today
to have been struck successfully.
The British Royal Air Force, a
communique issued by the Ministry
Of Information said, scored direct
hits with heavy bombs and damaged
two German battleships severely.
The German Navy has only five.
The Royal Air Force bombers car
ried out the daring daylight raid
yesterday afternoon against the
German fleet at the entrance of the
strategic Kiel Canal linking the
North Sea with the Baltic.
The aerial attack followed a night
mass flight of British aircraft
showering Northern and Western
Germany with 100000 copies of
message to the German people.
The message blamed the war on
German leadership and declared
British people want to live in peace
with the German people.
German Defense Minimized.
That British planes were able to
carry out this big scale flight over;
German territory and return to their
bases without casualties was hailed
here as highly significant in view
of frequent Nazi boasts of the i'm
pregnability oil, their aerial defenses.
The communique mentioned some
casualties" in the attack on the bat
tleships. British newspapers pub
lished a German news agency report
that five British bomberS which had
participated in the raid were brought
down by antiaircraft batteries.
Several direct hits with heavy
bombs were registered on German
battleship in Schilling Roads off
Wilhelmshafen, which resulted in
severe damage" said the information
ministry communique.
"At Brunsbuttel, an attack was
carried out on battleship lying
alongside the Mole, causing heavy
damage. During the operation,
which was carried out in very un-
favorable weather conditions, our
aircraft encountered an air attack
and anti-aircraft fire resulting in
some casualties
To have scored direct hits on the
battleships. the British planes, it
was believed here, must have plunged
in power dives to a low altitude
against enemy fire before dropping
their heavy bombs,
The German navy's battleships are
the 26.0OO-ton Scharnhorst and
Gneisenau, completed last year, and
the 1O.0O0-ton pocket battleships,
Deutschland, Admiral Scheer and
Admiral Graf Spec, completed in
1933-1936.
Intense preparations were con-
tinued by the government. Several
aliens have been rounded up, Sir
John Anderson, new home secretary,
disclosed
King Issues Messages.
The fleet, army and airforce re-
ceived messages from King George
in which the sovereign pointed out
their grave responsibilities.
In all its long and glorious his
tory" King George said, "the Brit
ish army has never been called upon
to take the field for a cause more
Just than that which is ours. It
has never entered on campaign of
which the issues were graver or
more vital to the future of our race
and indeed of all civilization. l
know we'll that you realize what is
at stake and that in the struggle
which lies ahead every man in my
armies will play his part with gal
lantry and devotion 1t is my earn
est prayer that God will have you in
his keeping and grant success to
your arms"
Prime Minister Chamberlain tele-
graphed Premier Daladier of France
that he was confident right will
prevail" In the conflict with Ger
many.
The text of the telegram
AT this time, when Great Britain
and France are renewing their COM
radeship In arms to resist aggression
and defend the cause of honorable
feeling among nations, 1 send to
you. and through you to the French
people, the cordial greetings of the
people Of this country.
Our hopes of peace which we
sought so strenuously to preserve
have been scattered by the wanton
attack on Poland. Now side by side
we both take up arms with the sure
knowledge that no nations have ever
entered war in juster cause. I
am confident that the sacrifices
which we are prepared to make will
not be in vain and that the right
will prevail"
The British press pointedly con-
trasted Britain's first war action
the bombardment of the German
war vessels-With the sinking of the
British liner Athena Sunday night,
which Britain charged to a Ger
man torpedo.
Describing the daredevil attack of
the British bombers on the German
fleet, the Daily Mail said: This raid
on a purely naval objective was q
gallant exploit, true to the best
British traditions"
The newspaper added, "the sink
ing of the Athena shows that Hitler
has at once abandoned all pretense
of keeping to the last vestiges of
humanity and decency which may
be observed in war"
The News Chronicle commented:
"As far as Britain is concerned,
this war has opened in the right
way. Last night, the R. A. F. direct
ed their attention to a strictly legiti-
mate objective and bombed the Ger
man fleet ="
The London Press, reduced to II
pages to conserve newsprint, pub
lished as usual and generally gave
objective treatment to the war news.
German communiques were dis
played prominently.
Broadcasts to German People.
The British government intensi-
fed efforts to reach the German