ENEMY RAIDERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 June 1940, Page 5

ENEMY RAIDERS

AT LEAST FIVE SHOT DOWN IN BRITAIN ATTACKS OVER WIDE AREA. NO SERIOUS DAMAGE DONE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, June 26. It is officially stated that at least five enemy bombers were shot down during air raids on Britain last night. Reports so far indicate that the damage to property was not serious and the casualties were slight. No serious damage was clone to any military objective. The enemy raiders, flying at a great height, crossed the English coast at various points from the north-east and south-east late last night and early today and also crossed the Scottish coast. Searchlights and anti-air-craft guns everywhere went into action and British fighters went up. Explosions were heard in the Midlands, where the sirens sounded. Explosions and gunfire were also heard in the south-west. Planes were plainly heard over a wide area in south-east Scotland and also in Wales.

High-explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped in eastern England and south-east Scotland. The British fighters chased many of the raiders to sea.

BRITISH CASUALTIES FOUR KILLED AND THIRTEEN INJURED. BOMBER SHOT DOWN IN WALES. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) LONDON, June 26. It is officially announced that four persons were killed and 13 injured in last night’s raids over Britain. A four-year-old boy was killed and six were injured, including three seriously in the Midlands. One bomber, it is believed, was shot down over Wales. GERMAN REPORT (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) BERLIN, June 26. A German communique states: “During the night of June 25/26 our aeroplanes successfully attacked numerous aerodromes and aircraft factories in the English Midlands. An enemy transport of 7000 tons was bombed off Bayonne today, resulting in violent explosions and fire. “A U-boat torpedoed the armed British marchantman Saranac, also two other armed merchantmen, south-west of Ireland. “Our fighters shot down two of three British Blenheims, which attempted to attack Stavanger yesterday. “British planes bombed northern and western Germany during the night of June 25/26. No military objectives were hit and the raid only caused insignificant damage. Four persons were killed, as far as is known at present.”

OFFICIAL REPORT DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY MACHINES. SEARCHLIGHTS & GUNS HELP FIGHTER PILOTS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.7 a.m.) RUGBY, June 26. The Ministry for Home Security confirms that no serious damage was caused by last night's air raid on England and Scotland. The raid started before midnight and continued for three hours. A notable feature was the successful co-opera-tion between fighters, searchlights and anti-aircraft guns. Several pilots were greatly helped by searchlights illuminating the enemy. In one case a flightlieutenant, flying a Spitfire, who shot down a Heinkel 111 in the Firth of Forth area, first found the bomber when it was illuminated by a cluster of searchlights. While it was held by the beams, the Spitfire overhauled it. The pilot, firing a long burst from dead astern, crippled the Heinkel and it went into a spiral dive, sparks and smoke pouring from it. Watchers on the ground saw it burst into flames and dive into the sea. A second Heinkel was brought down in the Firth of Forth by a leader and sergeant of another squadron. The German machine, after jettisoning its bombs, crashed into the sea. Another dived into the sea off the Yorkshire coast.

Also off the Yorkshire coast a searchlight crew watched a Dornier, first hit by anti-aircraft fire and then attacked and shot down into the sea by a Spitfire pilot. Although the British pilot was wounded, he succeeded in flying back to his base.