ATTACK ON DESTROYER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 35, 21 November 1939, Page 5

ATTACK ON DESTROYER

’PLANE OYER ENGLAND ON OUTSKIRTS OF LONDON ..... <} (United Press Association —(Copyright.) (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) - LONDON, November 20. , The Admiralty announced this afternoon: “In the southern area of the North Sea, German aircraft made an unsuccessful bombing attack on one of our destroyers.” Air-raid warnings were sounded in the south-east of England ’;V: to-night; An unidentified ’plane, v flying at a great height, was sighted off >• a port on the south coast. Anti-aircraft guns opened fire and • shells burst around the ’plane, from which emerged a trailing, ! long stream of smoke. The ’plane made off eastwards. Spectators saw British fighters in pursuit The same ’plane was sighted ■ . over the Thames Estuary, South Kent and Essex. / When it appeared over South-East England and the outskirts ' of London thousands of people rushed into the streets and watched * the i shell-fire. Shrapnel fell into the streets. • Eyewitnesses describe the ’plane as being similar to a* Heinkei bomber. The ’plane apparently escaped to sea. ; ■ people of the Orkneys, warned by gun-fire, saw an enemy ,- V reconnaissance ’plane over the southern isles. The sirens sounded soon afterwards. Pursuit ’planes drove the raider to sea. Q S Nad’planes which flew over the Shetland* on Friday dropped heavy bombs,' as indicated by a hole in the hillside, while two objects were seen falling into the sea.