ENEMY BOMBERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 July 1940, Page 7

ENEMY BOMBERS

MORE RAIDS ON BRITAIN NUMBER OF CASUALTIES REPORTED. DESTRUCTION OF GERMAN MACHINES. I By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. July 6. Two Air Ministry bulletins issued in the early hours of this morning state: “Enemy aircraft crossed the coast during the night and anti-aircraft defences went into action. The enemy aircraft, however, penetrated only a few miles in one district in the northeast and no casualties or damage are reported. “Early this morning enemy aircraft dropped bombs on a town on the south-east coast, and damage was done to some houses but only one minor casualty is reported. A Royal Air Force fighter intercepted and shot down an enemy bomber.” Another communique states: “Several enemy aircraft flew over a town in South Devon today and a highexplosive bomb caused a few casualties. Our fighters and anti-aircraft guns engaged the enemy and drove them off.” Two civilians were killed and several were injured in the latest raids over the south-east of England. Two cottages were demolished. An enemy plane was shot down into the sea off the north-east coast of Scotland. The enemy has lost 34 bombers over and round Britain since the first mass raid on the night of June 18-19, and many others were so dam-' aged that they were not likely to have reached home. R.A.F. Spitfire fighters had a chase lasting 100 miles before they shot down a German off the Aberdeenshire coast early this afternoon. The fighters climbed to 27,000 feet before the enemy was seen, and then the bomber began a five-mile dive to sea leevl with the Spitfires on its tail. Two German airmen jumped and the parachute of one opened, but the other was not seen again. The Spitfires, breaking off the fight, watched the bomber crash into the sea. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique, issued late last night, states that enemy aircraft dropped bombs during the day at a few points near the coast and south-west England, at one point in the east riding of Yorkshire, and at another one on the Kent coast. No military objectives were hit, but slight damage was done to some houses. The only casualties reported were a few persons slightly injured in the southwestern area. FURTHER RAIDS SECOND ENEMY PLANE SHOT DOWN. IBy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, July 7. It is officially announced that there was some intermittent enemy air activity over the south coast this morning, during which bombs were dropped on one town, damaging a number of houses and causing a few casualties. R.A.F. fighters successfully engaged the enemy and shot down a bomber into the sea. this being the second shot down today. Three persons were killed in last night’s raid on a small north-eastern village, while returning home from a cinema.