PLANES’ BUSY DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20098, 18 November 1939, Page 6

PLANES’ BUSY DAY

FIVE STATES COVERED NO MATERIAL. RESULTS BRITISH DEFENCE UNIT (Klee. Tel. ( 'opyriulil-~1 'nitcil IVess Assn.) (Reed. Nov. 18. 1.30 pan.) LONDON. Mov. 17. German reconnaissance planes were very active to-day. 1 llying over English. French. Swiss. Dutch and Belgian territory. They were detected in all instances and met with brisk anti-aircraft lire, pursued by lighters, ancl 1 creed to retreat without accomplishing anything of material value. Nazi raiders are still persisting in lone visits to ihe Shetland?, the reasons for which are obscure. The first appearance during the war of enemy planes over England brought the British defences swiftly into action. Fighters took off and chased the raiders through the grey skies and rain. Planes were reported over Lancashire, Cheshire, the Merseyside, and north Wales. Air-raid warnings were sounded in 13 towns. One big black machine was sighted in Lancashire and Cheshire (lying at 4000 ft. It circled four times and raced away south as shells burst nearby and three fighters streaked into the skv. Scores of people stood in the streets in north Wales, where the warning was received during the busiest shopping period. An unidentified plane was seen flying at 600 ft. and then headed towards the sea. The Air Ministry announced this afternoon: "Air-raid warnings in south Lancashire, Cheshire and north Wales were given shortly after 11 a.m. to-day when enemy aircraft, apparently a Heinkel reconnaissance plane, was detected by the Royal Air Force observer corps. "Anti-aircraft guns were in action near Manchester and the Merseyside, where British lighters went up and drove away the enemy aircrait. No bombs were dropped. "The 'raiders passed - signal was given alter a few minutes. Enemy aircrait were also reported near Ihe Shetlands this morning."