Evening star., 1942-04-28
R. A. F. BIosts Nozi Fleet Bose
At Trondheim; Cologne Torget
In Wide Raids Over Continent
Great Fires Left;
Plones Back Over
chonnei Today

D. the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 28.-Squadrons
OF heavy British bombers, main
tanning destructive attacks on
German targets for the fifth day
running, last night raidcd the
Norwegian port of Trondheim
where the Germans are building
an Atlantic battle feet base, the
Air Ministry announced today.
Other squadrons simultaneously
attacked Rhineland objectives, in
cluding Cologne; bombed the docks
at Dunkeruue. laid mines In waters
of France and Belgium and ma
chine -Runned German hirdromes.
Eighteen British planes we're lost, q
conmunique said.
Instead OF concentrating on four
German warships anchored In
Tr0ndheim Harbor, British bonn.
bardiers aimed their explosives at
land installations, which, an Air
Ministry source said. .swe are trying
to knock down as fast as they
put up"
Trying to Build Base.
Two of the German ships at
Trondheim are the 35,000-ton battle
ship Tirpitz, which took shelter
there after O brush with British tor
pedo planes at sea March 13. and
the i0O00-ton cruiser Prinz Eugen,
which fed from Brest with the 26,-
000-ton battlesi1ips Gneisenau and
Echarnhorst on February 13.
The others were reported to be
the 10,000-ton cruiser Hipper and
the 10.O00-ton pocket battleship Ad-
iniral Scheer.
Informed sources In London said
It Is known that the Germans, using
conscripted Norwegian labor, are at
tempting to complete quickly large
naval base there.
"There Is no reason to think our
forces are going especially after
units of the German fleet" one au-
thority said. "It Is vitality impor-
tant to destroy the usefulness OF
Trondheim as naval base"
Cologne Main Rhine Target.
In the Rhineland raids Cologne
was the principal target and large
fires were started there during clear
weather attacks.
CThe German radio, claiming
that 50 British planes have been
shot down in the last 24 hours,
said the raids extended from
Norway to former Czecho-Slo-
yakia.)
Fighter planes raided an unidenti-
fed airdrome In German-occupied
territory and supply ship was dam
aged of the coast of Denmark, the
Air Ministry said.
Cologne was the British night
raiders target after an interval OF
three weeks since 800 bombers at
tackled that Rhine River city and
British sources said the raiders
again were in considerable force
and had caused widespread new
damage.
Roar Back Over Channel.
Almost before stragglers from the
r. A. F.'s night foray into Germany
had reached home. great British
squadrons were roaring back at dawn
toward the French coast.
A bomber and fighter attacking
force covering square mile of sky
and described as 'the largest single
unit ever to attack Occupied France"
swept out toward Calais.
Above the howl of a galelike wind
came heavy explosions, some even
jarring the English side of Dover
Strait. White exhaust trails of the
high-fiying planes streaked the sky
for miles from Kent almost as far
as Calais.
The sounds indicated the r. A. r.
was dropping explosives as heavy as
one ton on German objectives in
Northern France. Anti-aircraft
guns thundered at an aerial armada
tSee RAIDS. Page A-6.)