RAIDS ON BRITAIN

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21197, 21 August 1940, Page 7

RAIDS ON BRITAIN

HIGH EXPLOSIVES DROPPED PEOPLE KILLED OR INJURED WRECKAGE OF HOUSES 'United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. CopyrigTit) (Received August 21, 11 a.m.) LONDON, August 20 It is officially stated that five German planes were destroyed yesterday. Three of ours were lost, but two pilots are safe. Raiders dropped high explosives in working-class districts in a Midland town. Two houses were demolished, and several people were killed or injured. Enemy planes last night operated for the most part singly, but over widespread areas in England and South Wales, also a few districts in Scotland. Houses and other property were damaged. Night raiders dropped high explosives on a residential area in a northeast coastal town, wrecking several houses and killing a 60-year-old man. Incendiary bombs were dropped on a south-west coastal town, causing fires, also during an extensive Midlands raid, but mostly the bombs fell in open country. Shot Down Into Sea The Air Ministry states: Our fighters intercepted and shot down a raider into the sea when it was attacking a Suffolk coastal town this morning. The Ministry states that up to 5 p.m. reports showed that three more enemy aircraft had been shot down in fights over Britain by fighters today, bringing the total to f<yur. Calmness in Portsmouth German raiders, in spite of Nazi claims, have so far failed to destroy any objective of military importance in Portsmouth, said the British actor, Mr Leslie Howard, in a broadcast today. Mr Howard said he visited Portsmouth because his son was stationed there and because of recent enemy raids on the city. Life in the city was going on as usual, Mr Howard said. He had inspected heavy damage to houses, where lives had been lost, and saw the old smugglers’ catacombs, now used as air raid shelters. There was a raid during Mr Howard’s visit. He said it had no effect Whatever on the people in the shelter. It did one good to see their courage. British Pilot’s Escape A British pilot successfully escaped by parachute after his aeroplane had collided with a barrageballoon wire over the London area last night. Within five minutes he was telephoning his squadron from a nearby police station. The aeroplane crashed on a baker’s shop, setting fire to it, but the flames were quickly extinguished.

The main body of the United States fleet has left Honolulu for manoeuvres which are expected to last a month.