HEAVIER LOSSES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 17, 31 October 1940, Page 5

HEAVIER LOSSES.

GERMANS OVER BRITAIN.

ITALIAN PLANES ENGAGED.

(United Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, October 30.

Day raids on Britain yesterday cost the Germans 27 machines. The Royal Air Force los*t seven fighters, lint five pilots were saved. The participation of Italian bombers in raids’ on Britain yesterday was much less than is suggested by agency icports. It is revealed that five Italian bombersi approached the coast, escorted by German fighters, but they were, driven back before penetrating inland. On Monday ( night three German bombers were shot down. There was a slackening in the German raids last night. In the east and north-east, bombs were dropped but only slight damage is reported. ■ An attack was made on Merseyside, but it was of short duration.lncendiary bombs caused fires in two Midland toWns.

Tho raids began soon after dark, when German aeroplanes bombed and machine-gunned towns in tlio cast and north-east. ‘ The main ! weight of the raids was in tho south-east, including London, but the attacks slackened early in the morning and ceased before dawn.

Explosions from guns quickly followed the sirens in London last night. Repeated flashes of gunfire were seen from all quarters as aeroplanes, flying high in a clear sky, streaked across tho capital and away again. Incendiary bombs fell in a populous London area. Two high-explosive bombs were dropped in a residential district. Houses were damaged, but there were no casualties in either area.

Fighters and land defences repelled three raiders on Portsmouth last night. Flight bombs fell in the third raid, damaging three houses and killing three persons.

Bombs from a raider in East Anglia caused some casualties, including some fatally injured. The aeroplane then machine-gunned a coast town. A workman braved exploding ma-chine-gun bullets from a blazing Messerschmitt near Horsham to rescue the pilot. The airman was unconscious and enveloped in flames. The workman extinguished the fire with sods. TJle crew parachuted when a bomber crashed in East Anglia. Three members of the crew gave themselves up. One is Still at large. One woke a fanner by knocking' on his door • and pouring out words in a foreign language. The farmer grabbed a shotgun. When the German, who was apparently asking if he was in Holland, was told that lie was in .England be gave a cry of despair and drew a hand . across his throat. The farmer and his family took an hour to persuade the German that they were not going to kill him. Fighters are reported to have shot down two fighters on the south-east coast last night. In a 10-minute battle at 300 miles an hour over Kent yesterday a Scottish auxiliary Spitfire squadron shot down eight Messerschmitts. This squadron lias already accounted for more than 70 aeroplanes.