ENEMY AIRCRAFT ON EAST COAST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 246, 18 October 1939, Page 7

ENEMY AIRCRAFT ON EAST COAST.

NO BOMBS FELL

Eye-witnesses' Accounts Of Firth Of Forth Raid.

TRIED TO DESTROY BRIDGE.

United Press Association.—^fcpyrigirt. (Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, October 17. The Air Ministry announced that its observer corps reported enemy aircraft activity along the East Coast of Britain during the morning and the afternoon. Air raid warnings were issued in some districts of Lincolnshire, and the East Anglian and Kent coasts. Immediately our fighter and antiaircraft defences were in action. No bombs were , dropped, in any of these districts. One enemy aircraft was intercepted on the Yorkshire coast and pursued put to sea. Air raid warnings were sounded at Hull, Bridlington, Grimsby, Felixstowe, Chatham, Southend and. Ipswich. Returned Many Times. Eye-witnesses described how German attempts to bomb the Forth Bridge were driven off by heavy fire. They returned time and again, and bombs caused huge waterspouts, but 110 damage. A passenger by a train which crossed the bridge said: "At Dalmeny we were told an air raid was in progress, and it was left to our discretion whether to continue the journey across the iorth Bridge. Most ot us decided to continue. "As the train travelled slowly across 1 the bridge two aeroplanes appeared to dive over us, dropping bombs near the bridge. One of the German aeroplanes went down smoking into the sea."

Fishermen went out in a small boat and rescued three of the four members of the crew before the aeroplane sank. Spectators helped the Germans ashore. Two were seriously wounded. One of the Germans said: "We had 110 chance to get away from the British aeroplane. It was much too fast for us." City Not Endangered. Citizens of Edinburgh showed interest and not fear when the bark of antiaircraft jruns and bursts of machine-gun fire warned them of the air raid. They were at first puzzled at the silence of the warning sirens, but were reassured to see Royal Air Force machines hotly pursuing the Germans, and it was later explained that the sirens were not sounded because the city was not endangered, as the raiders were attacking other targets.

Householders standing in groups were not excited when the swastika skimmed over the roof tops. Groups gathered on the house tops to watch the spectacle through binoculars, and were delighted as they saw the Germans outmanoeuvred at every turn.

A Berlin communique states: "German bombers successfully attacked British warships in the Firth of Forth. Two British cruisers were hit. The attack was carried out in face of heavy British anti-aircraft fire. Two British chaser aeroplanes were shot down and two German aeroplanes are missing." -^ r Ministry announced that a number of Boyal Air Force 'planes carried out a successful reconnaissance 1 in western and north-western Germany J yesterday. One machine has not *•*/ turned.

A message from Amsterdam says & German pursuit 'plane compelled a British 'plane to land near Lingen, Germany. It struck a farm building and was set on fire. Three airmen, one of whom was wounded by machine-gun fire, were saved.

The Air Ministry announces that after the earlier reported enemy activity off the East Coast, the R.A.F. observed two enemy aircraft off the north-east coast. They attacked and shot down both. One crew was rescued from the sea. The R.AJ 1 . 'planea returned safely.

An earlier message reported that yesterday's attack on warships in the Firth of Forth followed a reconnaissance by German aircraft during the morning