The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-28
Britain Fails to Issue Re-
port; Raid Came After II
BOmbings
BERLIN RADIO CLAIMS
FORCE WIPED QUIZ
Mysterious "COI. v. Brit.
ton" Still Urges Secret !
Civilian Opposition
ny SIDNEY '. WILLIAMS
United Press Staff Correspondents

by SIDNEY j. WILLIAMS
UNITED Press Staff Correspondent
London, March 90. - (UPl)
- A German high command
communique said today thai
British forces, In q combined
army, navy and air force at
tack, had attempted to land
men on st. Nazaire Bay, big
German submarine base be-
low the French Brest pei1irlr
sula last night.
A military commentator said tl1aa
Britain could issue no statement istl@'
mediately on the Berlin report ble
that O statement would b. issucd
later II q raid had been made.
The Berlin radio first reported
the raid as British bombing crews
returned 70 their bases after q
night OF bombing the HelgolAIld Bay
area, the chief center Of German
naval bases and shipbuilding yards
In O a. hours day spring OFFENSIVE
on enemy and enemy held territory
Weather Bad
A British air ministry comnIiniqua
said bad weather prevented large
scale" aerial operations over enemy
territory, but reported that Royak
Air Force planes attacked German
alrdromes In the low countries.
Other British planes mined enemy
waters Of seven points," the CONS
munique said. -Four planes were re~
ported missing.
Britain hardn't had time 70 ASsa
nounce any raid On the French tn@
vaslon coast.
Soon Berlin radio was broedcass4
Ing the NaN high command ccEna
munique.
Landing Attempted
II said British naval" forces had
attempted O landing on 81. N9xakre.
Bay, that was shelled by naval ana
anti-aircraft artillery and it, Losses
were high.
"In so far as it was possible Scn
the British forces TO land" the CONS
munique said, "they were quickly
surrounded by German troops Of all
services and destroyed. A large
number were taken prisoner. Nus
merouB enemy naval units were SUNK
and the rest withdrew"
The Berlin radio In @ special
broadcast then embellished this Of
hclai claim by saying that entire
British force had been "eneircled
destroyed or captured" and that the
entire weak" naval force had been
destroyed.
II was Berlin, too, which first azl-
nounced the nights raids on Heagos
land Bay, q foliow-up 10 two nighta
Of pulverizing raids on the Ruhrs
heart Of German war industry
Shoot Down BOmbers
Berlin said night tighter planes
had shot down Ave Of the British
bombers which were evidently ats
lacking German submarine and gem
eral naval bases on the North Sea
coast.
An afr ministry communique saiG
q German plane had dropped bombs
on a northeast coast British town
during the night and that nuFners
Gus persons had been wounded. I've
bombs fell near q train which WAS
entering q railroad station and
some passengers were lnccke0 cue
by the blast.
Brltain's bombing planes had
swept across the English Channel
yesterday afternoon, supported BY q
powerful force OF fighters, 10 attack
detectives ct Ostend, the German
invasion base on the Belgium coast
One Naxi Plane Down
The fighters shot down one Ger
man plane and damaged others. A
British fighter was lost but tho ba9
bombers all returned.
Berlin's report Of the channeA
coast raid lent emphasis 70 she
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