400 RAIDERS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21206, 31 August 1940, Page 7

400 RAIDERS

42 BROUGHT DOWN THREE SUCCESSIVE WAVES THE ENEMY SCATTERED (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received August 31, 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, August 30 The Evening Standard says that 400 German plans participated in an attempt to reach London. The formations appeared from separated points. It is learned that ten enemy planes were destroyed in the London area during the third warning. Altogether 42 Nazis raiders were brought down, against a loss of 10 British planes. However, several of the British pilots are reported safe. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique says: Large forces of enemy aircraft crossed the south-east coast this morning in three successive waves at short intervals. Our air defences went into action and the battle which developed resulted in the enemy being scattered and driven back. A small proportion approached the London area and attempted unsuccessfully to attack several aerodromes in the home counties. These aircraft, too, were engaged by our fighters and dispersed. Bombs were dropped indiscriminately in districts in Kent and Surrey, and slight damage is reported.

CLAIMS BY GERMANY MUCH DAMAGE IN ENGLAND WIDE AREA ATTACKED U-BOAT SINKS SHIPS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Aug. 31, 11.45 a.m.) BERLIN, Aug. 30 A communique states: German Air Force activity was confined on August 29 to armed reconnaissance flights. Several air battles developed over south-east England. The German bombing squadrons made night attacks on several aerodromes in Lincoln and Suffolk, industrial plants at Felixtowe, aircraft factories at Weybridge and South Langley, and harbour installations at Dundee, Leith, Hartlepool and Liverpool. Widespread fires among individual targets, particularly at the harbour of Liverpool, showed the success of the attack.

The mining of British harbours was continued.

British planes last night again bombed Western Germany, concentrating on no'n-military objectives. Residential districts were hit in a number of localities in the Ruhr. The air raid services quickly extinguished the fires. Other material damage was insignificant. The enemy lost two planes during night flights over the Ruhr and 19 during air battles, also six barrage balloons. Seven of our planes have not returned.

A U-boat sank three enemy merchantment, totalling 21,000 tons, out of a strongly-guarded convoy.

CIVILIANS FIRED ON NAZIS USE MACHINE-GUNS RAIDS ON SCILLY ISLES SEVERAL PLANES DESTROYED (Official Wireless) RUGBY, Aug. 29 A communique issued by the Ministry of Home Security states: On Thursday afternoon enemy aircraft attacked the Scilly Isles. Bombs were dropped and civilians were fired upon with machine-guns. Fires were caused and a small number of persons injured. Enemy aircraft also machinegunned a south-west town during the morning, but there were no casualties and no damage. A small number of bombs was dropped in South England early in the day. A house was damaged slightly, but no one was injured. Apart from these occurrences no bombs are reported to have been dropped on the British Isles during the hours of daylight on Thursday. The German daylight raids over Britain on Thursday, in which seven enemy fighters and two bombers are known to have been destroyed up to 9 p.m., took the form of two main raids along the Kent and Sussex coasts. One was between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and the second after 5 p.m. Beyond nine enemy aircraft known to have been shot down several more are reported by fighter pilots as “probably destroyed,” and others were seriously damaged.

NEW NAZI BOMB FILLED WITH CRUDE OIL PROBLEM FOR FIRE FIGHTERS SAND INSTEAD OF WATER (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Aug. 30 A new type of German incendiary bomb has been found in London, comprising a section filled with crude oil and a section for igniting it. The new bomb provides firefighters with a new problem, because water will not extinguish burning oil, and hence more supplies of sand are necessary. The use of these new bombs is probably due to Germany’s need for economising with magnesium and thermite.