BRITAIN AGAIN RAIDED

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23058, 28 June 1940, Page 7

BRITAIN AGAIN RAIDED

Two German Bombers Shot Down DAMAGE REPORTED NOT SERIOUS (UNITED PEESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received June 27, 10 p.m.) ]• LONDON, June 27. ' Enemy aeroplanes raided south- 1 eastern, north-eastern, and south- I western England, and north-east-ern Scotland during the night. There were heavy explosions in ’■ north-eastern England, where the 1 raiders hid behind heavy clouds. Incendiary bombs were also dropped, causing, small fires, which were quickly extinguished. Three bombs we.re dropped in • north-easlern Scotland, one fall- .■ ing near the house of a retired police inspector, who died from shock. The second wrecked a garage and partially demolished an adjoining hoit:e. The third fell in a nearby field. British fighters drove the raiders to sea. ' An official announcement states that two enemy bombers were shot down. No serious damage .was done and the casualties 1 were slight. It is officially announced that four persons were killed and 13 were injured in the raid on Tuesday. A four-year-old boy was killed and six were injured, including three seriously, in the Midlands. At least five raiders were shot down in this raid. Three fell in Scotland and it is believed that one was shot down in Wales. In addition to the five bombers brought down, it is believed that several others were so severely damaged that they were unlikely to reach, their bases. The south-east o-. Scotland bore the brunt of the attack. “Parashots,” A.R.P. officials, and police spent the early hours of daylight searching for the wreckage of a bomber, which was one of three brought down in Scotland, where a dwelling was demolished by bombs. In this house a mother and her daughter Were killed and the father and son injured. Three bombers were brought down after terrific ground gunfire and spectacular aerial engagements. British fighters shot down another raider' in flames. Incendiary bombs started fires in two buildings. Spectators in the south-east of England saw a fighter in action after searchlights had picked out a German bomber. Tracer bullets were seen hitting the bomber, which fled. Elsewhere, searchlights found a raider, which suddenly spiralled to earth. Two raiders disappeared after being spotted by searchlights. Houses Wrecked High-explosive bombs wrecked several houses in north-eastern England. Ohe bomb dropped 10 feet from a shelter in which there was only one casualty, BtSiftbs repeatedly fell in open country in Wales. A German communique states: "During the night of June 25-26, our aeroplanes successfully attacked numerous aerodromes, arid aircraft factories in the English Midlands.” The Ministry of Home Security confirms that no serious damage was caused in the raid on England and Scotland on Tuesday night. The haid started before midnight and continued for three hours. A notable feature of the raid was the successful co-operation between fighters, searchlights, and anti-aircraft guns. Several pilots, on landing, reported that they' Had been greatly helped by searchlights illuminating the enemy. „ In one case, a flight lieutenant flying a Spitfire, Who shot down a Heinkel 111 in the Firth of Forth area, first found the bomber when it was illuminated by a cluster of searchlights. While it was held by the beams the Spitfire overhauled it, the pilot firing a long burst from dead astern. The crippled Heinkel went into a spiral dive with sparks and smoke pouring from-it. Watchers oh the ground saw it burst into flames and dive into the sea. A SeCOrid Heinkel was brought down in the Firth of Forth area by the leader and sergeant of another squadroh. The German machine, after jettisoning its bombs, crashed into the sea. Another Heinkel dived into the sea off the -Yorkshire coast. Also off the Yorkshire coast, a searchlight crew watched a Dornier first hit by antiaircraft fire and then attacked and shot down into the sea by a Spitfire pilot. Although the British pilot was wounded he succeeded in flying back t6 nzj§ R.A.F. PATROLS ACTIVE CONTINUED RATOS ON GERMAN BASES . (BRITISH OITICIAI, VUE BLESS.) RUGBY, June 26. The Air Ministry announces that during yesterday British flghtefk ffg# - offensive patrols over enemy aerodromes near the French , coast. . The British fighters encountered a fcuch. larger formation of enemy fighters and. shot down three of them. Later details show that nine Spitfires were patrolling northern Franc* when they sighted, seven Messergchiftitt 109’s flying at a height of more than two miles. As the enemy climbed and dog-fights started, 10 rridf§ Messerschmitt 109’s joined in the battle, three being shot down and three more seriously damaged and believed destroyed. Several others were hit. Royal Air FOrCe bornbgfS ISsf flight continued their attacks on enemy aerodromes, rail communications, and other military objectives in the Netherlands and north-west Germany. Heavy attacks were made on aerodromes at Arnhem and Borkum, a railway bridge at Lingen near the Dutch frontier was destroyed and damage was done to th# Hamm rail junction and railway siding at, Dorsten, north of the Ruhr, a large fire being started. The Osterfeld, the marshalling yard, Was Bombed and the Mofiheim oil refinery was Severely damaged. Hits Were registered 6n &n aircraft factory at Bremen and fit Cologne a salvo of bombs caused explosions in chemical works, An ammunition dump at Heligoland wag blown Up. One' boftibef, returning from this operation, shot down an enemy fighter. All the British aireralt returned safely. From a reconnaissance over Scandinavia two Coastal Command aircraft failed to return.