EXCITING RACES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 225, 20 June 1944, Page 5

EXCITING RACES

Fighters Versus Missiles SOME DEFENSIVE SUCCESS (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received June 19, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 19. Residents on the south coast of England have watched scores uf exciting races in the last few days between pilotless planes and lighters, says the "Daily Mail.” The robots cross the Channel singly at intervals of about live minutes, travelling at least 250 miles au hour .from Calais and Boulogne and varying their direction in tile hope of getting through to the south oi England, but not all are allowed to puss. As soon as they are within two miles of the British coast they are attacked by anti-aircraft guns or fighters.

Pilotless planes have been over southern England intermittently yesterday, lust night and this morning. The Press Association stated last night that there were indications of success ’ rewarding the combined efforts of the anti-aireraft gunners and fighters to bring down the robots. It.A.F. fighters patrolled the coast from daybreak yesterday on the watch for robot planes, at least one of which was believed to have been bown up in midair. Anti-aircraft gunners sent up heavy tire as raiders were sent over singly from France at intervals. A number of robots were believed to have been shot down during the night by fighters and ground fire. The gunners were particularly successful against robots which were caught in searchlight beams. Every effort, is being made to shoot down the robots over the sea before they reached the coast. Rejection of Design. Mr. F. G. Miles, well-known aircraft designer, told the "Sunday Express’ - that the British Government turned down a practical design for a pilotless plane in 1940 on the ground that it was an indiscriminate weapon and would be a means of waging warfare on civilians. Goebbels is still taking every opportunity of playing up the effects of the pilotless bombers and is feeding the Germans with fantastic stories of burning British cities. A German radio commentator. addressing the German people this morning, said: “You mustn’t ask questions about the details of our weapon of retaliation. Be content with knowing that it is wreaking terrible vengeance.” Another German radio announcer, rising to even greater hysterical heights, stated that all roads leading from London were blocked by refugees taking the few belongings they had rescued from the flames of burning London. The British United Press correspondent at Stockholm says the Nazi leaders are apparently becoming fearful of the new propaganda overshooting its mark and making the Germans believe the war is practically won. The “Voelkischer Beobachter” in a leader warns readers not to expect too much from the new weapon and reminds them there is still hard fighting ahead. REPORTS OF DAMAGE Hospitals And Church

LONDON, June 18. Morning service had not long begun in one church when a pilotless plane crashed through the roof. The church collapsed, only a wall behind it being left standbig, reports the “Daily Express.’ ’ A number of worshippers were killed. Rescue workers, stripped to vest and trousers, worked under the last remaining arch, which was cracked and unsteady, to reach those entombed, some of whom have already been taken out and admitted to hospital. All but a small -wing of a hospital in southern England was demolished when a pilotless plane exploded in the early hours this morning, says the "Daily Telegraph.” Some of the patients were killed and one nurse was killed and three are missing. British, American and Canadian soldiers hurried to the scene and began assisting the civil defence workers in digging among the wreckage. A night nurse said: "The patients were wonderfully calm. Morphia was given to many of them. Four women who were buried alive under a wall were extracted, and after two hours’ digging five more women were dug out from a far corner.” Pointing to the wreckage, the nurse said: “That black and twisted little monster (the remains of the pilotless plane) is now mixed up with our Xray equipment.” People going to church were injured, some seriously, when a pilotless plane fell in another part of southern England this morning. Two were killed and a number were injured when another fell on a sports ground. Practically every window was blown out o fa hospital when a- robot plane crashed. The wards were littered with glass, but there were no casualties. A convent was also destroyed. A nun who was injured has since died. Another pilotless plane fell at ten-time among people returning from their ’Sunday afternoon walk. Children were among the victims. GERMANS PIN HOPES ’ (Received June 19, 8 p.m.) LONDON, June 18. German officers who have been taken prisoner in Normandy declared they were convinced that Germany would win the war with the pilotless planes, which would soon wipe out London, says an Associated Press correspondent. The German overseas news agency stated the pilots of fast German bombers which attacked targets in the Thames area last night reported that they observed extremely heavy explosions caused by the new German "hellhounds.” A thick pall of smoke extended several thousand feet above the Thames loop. A German High Command' communique said that very heavy and harassing fire continues to lie directed l almost uninterruptedly against London and the outer districts.