RAID ON ENGLAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 January 1940, Page 5

RAID ON ENGLAND

ENEMY PLANES DRIVEN OFF

CONFLICT IN THE TYNESIDE AREA. NARROW ESCAPES FROM FALLING SHRAPNEL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) LONDON, January 11. The Air Ministry announces that enemy planes crossed the coast near Newcastle shortly after 10 a.m. but that no bombs were dropped. Fighter patrols and anti-aircraft gunfire drove the enemy out to sea. Anti-aircraft shell splinters slightly damaged a house. It was Tyneside’s first raid. It is reported that three Nazi planes participated. Some residents narrowly escaped falling shrapnel, which smashed the glasses, from a woman’s face and broke an omnibus window.

MORE RAIDERS REPELLED VISITS TO GREAT ESTUARIES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, January 11. The Air Ministry announces: “There has been considerable activity off the east coasts of England and Scotland this morning. In addition to the raid at Newcastle-on-Tyne, enemy aircraft appeared off the Firth of Forth and the estuaries of the Humber and Thames. They were driven off by anti-aircraft fire and fighter patrols. Off the Norfolk coast enemy aircraft made a bombing attack on a merchant vessel. They were intercepted and engaged by our fighter aircraft." HOT RECEPTION GIVEN TO HEINKEL BOMEIER. SURPRISED BY SPITFIRES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day. 9 a.m.) LONDON, January 11. Three Spitfires surprised a Heinkel bomber attacking three British cargo vessels off the Norfolk coast. The Heinkel dropped a salvo from 50 feet but all the bombs missed. It fled eastwards and was pursued by Spitfires for 40 miles, being last seen with its port engine disabled and smoke pouring from its port wing. MANY RAIDS GERMAN MACHINES SIGHTED & CHASED. | INTRUDERS MOSTLY CONCERNED WITH RECONNAISSANCE.

(Received This Day. 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, January 11. The most widespread air raids of the war were experienced when Nazi warplanes crossed the coast at various points from Scotland to the Thames Estuary. No bombs were dropped, but several towns were showered with shrapnel. The planes were apparently mostly concerned with reconnaissance, although they bombed a steamer off the Norfolk Coast. The sh ip was not sunk, but from the coast she could be seen blazing on the horizon. Anti-aircraft guns on the Essex coast went into action against aircraft flying eastwards over the Thames Estuary. The gunfire followed the planes to sea.

Considerable aerial activity was seen on the South-West coast of Scotland, near where a fleet of fishing vessels was attacked on Wednesday. British fighters chased three large black machines seaward.

Two German Dorniers crossed the south-east coast and later were reported several miles inland. They reappeared over coastal ports. Royal Air Force planes went up, but apparently failed to make contact. Air raid warnings were not sounded.

POPULAR INTEREST TYNESIDERS COLLECT SOUVENIRS. SCHOOL CHILDREN CONTINUE LESSONS. (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) LONDON. January It. Thousands of people from the Scottish to the South English coast saw Royal Air Force fighters hotly pursuing German raiders. The boom of antiaircraft guns, the crackle of machineguns, the clatter of shrapnel falling in streets and on housetops and th'e bursting of shrapnel warned residents of the Tyneside that German raiders had crossed the coast. Residents of the Tyneside went into the streets to gather, pieces of shrapnel as souvenirs and school children calmly continued their lessons.

A Thames raider, attempting to reach the London area, was unable to penetrate the heavy’anti-aircraft barrage. Guns from Kent to Essex opened a furious bombardment.