WIDELY-EXTENDED BRITISH RAIDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 November 1940, Page 5

WIDELY-EXTENDED BRITISH RAIDS

Berlin and Many Other Targets Battered TEN R.A.F . MACHINES MISSING • SIXTEEN ENEMY MACHINES BROUGHT DOWN IN BRITAIN Sixteen enemy aircraft were destroyed in raids on Britain yesterday, a 8.8. C. broadcast states. Only one British machine was lost and the pilot is safe. Ten British bombers are missing from widely-expended raids on Germany and German-occupied territory. Damage and casualties on a serious scale are reported in the city of Coventry as a result of bombing by enemy planes flying at a great height. Heavy R.A.F. raids were made on Thursday night on Berlin and on other objectives in Germany and German-occupied territory. Bombs were dropped on five of Berlin’s big railway stations and yards and the city's power stations were also damaged. Elsewhere in Germany many fires were started in oil plants, an aircraft factory at Bremen was attacked and so too were 26 enemy aerodromes, and ports from Stavanger in Norway to Lorient in Brittany. The planes which reached Stavanger met bad weather and had to spend some time looking for their target. One stick of bombs appeared to explode an 1 ammunition dump. In occupied France a Messerschmitt 110 was shot down. Ten British planes are missing from the whole of these operations. Indiscriminate Bombing THE NAZI RAID ON COVENTRY An enemy raid on Coventry on Thursday night was the heaviest that city has yet suffered. Strong forces of enemy aircraft flew over at a height too great to permit the selection of industrial targets, but the city suffered severely and it is feared that there may have been a thousand casualties. The 14th century cathedral was damaged, as were hospitals, schools, shops and houses. Other Midland towns were attacked on Thursday night but suffered less serious damage than Coventry. Bombs were dropped also in widely separated districts in England and North Wales. In a few of these houses were damaged, but the number of casualties is small. In daylight raids on Thursday, the Germans lost 19 planes. Two British machines were lost, but the pilots of both are safe. Buckingham Palace has again been damaged in recent enemy raids and Drury Lane Theatre has been bombed. At the Palace, bombs fell in the grounds, but many windows were shattered, including the figured windows of the picture gallery. The historic parts of Drury Lane Theatre escaped damage. Mr Herbert Morrison, Minister of Home Security, made a tour of inspection of the damage in Coventry. Berlin states that the raids on Coventry are a reply to the R.A.F. attacks on Munich. About twenty enemy aircraft tried to reach London yesterday afternoon but were scattered by anti-aircraft fire and fighters. Forces of 150 enemy machines which attempted to cross the Kent coast in the morning were met and driven off by strong forces of R.A.F. fighters. A large enemy formation was attacked in a south-east area and in a dog-fight lasting three-quarters of an hour two were brought down.