ENEMY FORMATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 108, 2 November 1940, Page 9

ENEMY FORMATIONS

SLIGHT DAMAGE DONE

FEW CASUALTIES

NINE GERMAN PLANES DOWN

(OlHcia! Wireless and U.P.A.)

(Received November 2, noon.)

LONDON, November 1. The third air-raid alert today gave Londoners at the lunch hour the spectacle of numerous exhaust trails weaving about the blue sky at a great height, indicating the interception of enemy planes by British

fighters,

A communique dealing generally with raids on Britain today states:— "There has been some enemy activity over Britain since dawn. In addition to some isolated aircraft, several formations entered the Portsmouth area and others flew in the direction of London. Our fighters and anti-aircraft defences have been constantly in action, and the attacking formations in each case were quickly dispersed and driven off.

"In the course of these raids bombs were dropped at several points in the London area, the eastern counties, south-east England, and Lincolnshire. Reports at present received show that in general the resulting damage was slight, and though some casualties have been reported, the number of persons killed and injured is very small. Nine enemy aircraft were destroyed. Six of our fighters were lost, but the pilots of two are safe."

During the second two large formations crossed the south-east coast and anti-aircraft guns went into action. The planes were later seen returning across the coast.

Several bombs fell in the outskirts of London during the third alert. Four persons were killed and a number injured.

It is believed that six Italian heavy bombers were among the formations which crossed the coast in the morning. British fighters widely scattered the enemy.

Fifty enemy planes crossed the coast at Dungeness in the afternoon, 20 of which succeeded in reaching London, where they were met by fighters and turned back. Two of the raiders were pursued and sent spinning to earth.

Among those killed in London last night were three sisters and their husbands, who died together when two houses were demolished. Three youths who were playing cards in a surface shelter were killed by the blast when a bomb exploded in the road way.

During a short concentrated raid on a town in the west Midlands highexplosive and incendiary bombs damaged houses in live streets. A building was demolished over a public shelter, resulting in a number of casualties.

Seven explosive bombs fell near an east coast rectory, the family of four being uninjured. There was a further diminution in enemy air activity over the whole country during the night, states a communique, and the few bombs which were reported—mainly in East Anglia, London, and a town in the Midlandscaused little damage and few casualties. A few bombs were dropped with little effect at one point on the northeast coast of Scotland.