Evening star., 1940-04-13


Belgian Army today placed mill
tary guards on all government
offices, radio stations and air
fields in or near Brussels. An
official spokesman said this was
done because of the general
tension"
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 13.-British
warplanes bombed the German
held Southwestern Norwegian
port of Stavanger today, a Brit
iSh announcement said.
The announcement said it was be-
lieved that extensive damage was
done to a hangar and one aircraft.
1t added that the rear gunner of
one British plane, although wounded,
shot down an enemy fighter plane in
flames.
A communique said
During this morning aircraft Of
the coastal command reconnoitered
the aerodrome at Stavanger. Salvoes
Of heavy bombs were dropped and it
Is believed that extensive damage
was done to hangar and an air.
craft on which mechanics were seen
working.
"One of our aircraft was repeated
ly attacked by twin-engined en-
emy fighter, which fired several
bursts at very close range. The rear
gunner OF the British aircraft, al
though wounded, continued to fire
until the enemy fighter went down
in flames"
Loss Of IL Planes Admitted.
Britain earlier acknowledged the
loss OF II bombing planes in at
tempts to dislodge German troops
from Norwegian ports and destroy
German naval vessels in the war
torn northern waters.
British flyers succeeded, the Brit
ish said. in blowing up a munitions
warehouse at the German-held port
OF Bergen, machine-gunning a de-
stroyer and a motor torpedo boat
bombing German transport and sup
ply ships, and shooting down four
German Messerschmitt fighters
Two more of these Nazi planes were
believed to have been destroyed and
others damaged, the Air Ministry
added.
Flying Boat Damaged.
simultaneously British sources
said today Royal Air Force plane
had damaged a German Dornier
f1ylng boat and raked a German
destroyer with hundreds of rounds
OF machine-gun fire in a battle in
the North Sea.
Diving through Snowstorm, this
report said, the pilot of a coast COM
mand bomber opened fire at 1,5O(
feet and swept the decks of the de-
stroyer until he was only 500 feet
above her.
The plane was said to, have at
tackled the flying boat immediately
afterward and to have reported il
lost height with both engines afire
and with only q bare chance of
reaching land.
One shot pierced the British
planes gasoline tank.
Fuel was escaping rapidly. and
with half the North Sea to cross
they turned westward to begin a
race against the leaking tank" the
authorized account said.
with accurate navigation and
careful nursing of the petrol con-
sumption, the aircraft returned
safely"
The activities of Britain's power
full navy whose actions are neces-
sarily bigger and slower. were
clothed. for the moment, in secrecy,
Official announcements dealt only
with actions of the air force yes-
terday.
The British announced that eight
warplaneS were lost in bomber at
tacks on fleeing German ships
mostly in Kristiansand Fjord on the
Skagerrak, against strong opposi-
tion." Two more planes were lost
at sea on the way home, the Admir-
atty said.
Still another plane was lost in a
forced landing in the attack on
Bergen.
Berlin asserted that the Brit
ish lost 10 planes in the attack
on Bergen, and that the Germans
lost two there. The Germans said
(see LONDON, Page A-10)