RAIDERS OVER BRITAIN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 162, 8 June 1940, Page 7

RAIDERS OVER BRITAIN.

DAMAGE ONLY SLIGHT. Received June 8, 10.15 a.m. LONDON, June 7. Britain liad the biggest night of airraid warnings since the outbreak or war, far more widespread than the previous night, covering areas as lar apart as the counties of Durham and Hampshire. The warnings ranged from 40 minutes to over three hours. They were also reported from parts of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Norfolk, Kent and Sussex. The bombs dropped at Lincolnshire were of light calibre and fell on roofs and outbuildings. Six people were injured, three of whom were sent to hospital. . R.A.F. fighters were active over the Channel during the greater part of the South ooa'St alarm. A North-East coast, town heard ’planes, but no bombs were dropped. A ’plane flying over a Southern county dropped flares. Searchlights were active in Norfolk and Suffolk, where numerous flares were seen. ' > A joint Air Ministry and Home Security Ministry communique says that this morning Britain had one of its longest air raid warnings of the war. Enemy aircraft crossed the East and South coasts, and it was three hours before the all-clear signal was given. The raid was over an extended area. High explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped, presumably for the purpose of hitting. aerodromes, but the ’planes were flying very high and little damage was done. Anti-aircraft defences went into action in numerous areas and British fighters set out to intercept the enemy. Gunfire was heard in several districts. An Air Ministry communique stated : “Further reports of 'last night’s, raids on England show that at one Royal Air Force aerodrome bombs were dropped on a flare path,- killing one airman. Elsewhere the attacks were ineffective.” The early morning raid oyer Surrey lasted half-an-hour. but there was no firing. Huntingdonshire also had its first warning. It is not known whether there was any damage. Gunfire was heard in eleven counties which had warnings during the night. PARIS RAID WARNING. Paris reports that an air raid alarm early this-morning lasted half-an-hour. The* warning, was due to a force of German ’planes, estimated at 2UU, passing over the French lines. The results are not yet known. An air raid warning in Central France lasted three hours. Bombs were dropped, and caused material damage, but no victims are reported.