Evening star., 1940-03-18
Three ) Batt|eships
(. q
And One Cruiser Hif,
Nazi Raiders Report
Plane Hangers Also Set
Afire, German Airmen
< Declare on Return
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
; BERLIN, March 18.-Germany's S
eharpest aerial blow at Britain was
. lightning stab at twilight, carried
out on a meticulous plan.
Elated young flyers told last night
how their sky armada had pierced
Britain's Orkney Island air defenses
in fading daylight Saturday and how
they peered through the dusk to-
ward their targets on land and
afloat.
They could not tell what war
ships they hit, but said that at least
three battleships and one cruiser
were struck and damaged.
They said three of Britain's
mightiest men-o'-war, the 42,100-
ton battle cruiser Hood and the 32,-
O00-ton battle cruisers Renown and
Repulse, were believed to have been
in the Royal Navys Scapa Flow
anchorage when the German bomb
ers roared in from the North Sea.
The German high command said
two other warships probably were
damaged also.
Airports Bombed.
One flyer told of "the bright fire
Of burning hangers in the Germans
first air bombardment of the war on
British land objectives. The COM
munique said Orkney Island air
ports at Stromness, Kirkwall and
Earth House, as well as number of
anti-aircraft positions, were bombed.
The British acknowledged that the
Germans had reached objectives at
Scapa Flow and in the islands, but
said only one Warship was slightly
damaged and that other bombs fell
in civilian areas, killing one man,
wounding seven other persons and
damaging five cottages.
German military experts kept Sc
cret the exact number of warplanes
making the raid. but said there were
"a few more" than the British esti-
mate of IA. The flyers said their
planes were unscathed except fer
some slight damage from shell frag-
ments.
prepared SaTeIuuy.
The unit leader. Maj. Fritz
Doench, 36-year-old air veteran,
said the Germans had known for
days that the British home fleet
was at Scapa Flow.
Others said the gathering was "un-
usual" and apparently was in con-
nection with preparations for spe-
cial undertaking.
1--WE waited for days, loaded care
fully, prepared for weather which
would be most favorable because we
did not want to experience what the
British did December 49, said Mai.
Doench, referring to the day the
Germans say they shot down 36
British Vickers- Wellington bombers
over Helgoland Blight.
"Just before taking off. we talked
our plans over once more and then
departed. We flew a roundabout
way because we were not foolish
enough to 60 directly. We came
toward the Orkneys from the east
and still could see we'll. 's ..f'
Hit Four OF Biggest.
"The surprise was so great the
British apparently were at their
evening meal. Before us was such
an endless number of ships we had
trouble picking out which one we
should make the target.
1--WE hit four of the biggest, each
at least once, directly with 1000
FOUNDERS"
Other bombs, the leader said,
came so close to striking that the
flyers could see the big warships
rise into the air and then settle
back into the water.
For half an hour as we circled
about from the north" he said, I'VE
saw huge columns of flame. About
7:55 pm. we disappeared into the
darkness toward home"
First Raid on Airport.
First 1t. Homo Phillips, 24-year-
old observer, whose unit was as
signed to the first attack on Brit
ish airports in order to keep ground
ed as many British fighter planes
as possible, told this story: ..
"On the trip out we were tense
because it was the first raid on
British airport. We headed for
Earth House first. Coming out of
the east our objective lay clear be-
fore us. We let our row of bombs go.
1--WE saw bomb after bomb strike
clouds of dirt as they struck the
runways, then the bright fire of
burning hangers.
During the attack British pur-
suffers tried to reach us from below
but We turned off and disappeared
into the night"
Used Oxygen in Flight.
Another picture of how the Ger
mans struck just when the ebbing
sun could guide their aim and ap-
preaching night "black out" their
homeward flight was told by stubby
First 1t. MacMagnussen, who has
raided Britain 13 times.
eve flew toward the Orkneys
sometimes so high we had to use
oxygen, sometimes through brief
rain and sleet storms" he said.
Our radio man entertained us by
playing hot music on his harmonica,
which was relayed to the others by
our radio system.
CAS- we approached the Orkneys
there were no clouds, hence it was
unfavorable for us because the Eng
1ish could quickly spot us.
"All was quiet on board as we flew
to attack one of the warships most
favorably situated.
THE attack begins was the
calm, crisp command.
"The outlook in the nose Of the
ship guided me.
Nov little to the right, now a
little to the left he said.
Then I sensed the plane lighten-
Ing. The bombs were dropping. It
was a few seconds before learned
the results. Then our bomber called,
We hit, she's burning!
Smoke Enveloped Ship.
"The prov of the boat was en-