TERRIFIC BARRAGE

Evening Star, Issue 23615, 29 June 1940, Page 11

TERRIFIC BARRAGE

HOT RECEPTION FOR NAZI BOMBERS NO SERIOUS DAMAGE AND FEW CASUALTIES LONDON, June 28. It is officially stated that enemy aeroplanes carried out bombing attacks on several districts in Britain during the night. No serious damage was caused and the casualties were very slight. The raiders met the hottest defence from searchlights and anti-aircraft defences. Enemy aircraft did their best to escape the beams of the searchlights and were seen retreating to sea with British fighters on their tails. There was a terrific barrage in the northeast of England. ADVICE TO GERMAN CIVILIANS BROADCAST BY 8.8. C. LONDON, June 28. The 8.8.0. German language broadcast warned German civilians to take cover on the approach of British planes. “ The British Air Force is fighting Nazism, not German civilians, and as the Nazis do not sound a warning it is essential that civilians should be warned from other sources.” COLOURFUL NAZI VERSION USUAL SWEEPING SUCCESSES CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DAMAGE " ADMITTED BERLIN, June 28. - (Received June 29, at 11.10 a.m.) A communique states': “ Captainlieutenant Prien announced the sinking of 40,000 tons of enemy shipping. “ The air force, during the night of June 27-28, successfully attacked British armament factories and also attacked southern England and the Midlands. Explosions and great fires were observed. British machines crossed the Belgian and Dutch coasts at various points on June 27. They were attacked by our fighters, which in one case shot down all six invading planes. Two other British machines succeeded in reaching the neighbourhood of Hanover and dropped bombs. Many were killed or injured and a. certain amount of damage was done. On the night.of Juno 27-28 British again flew over western and northern Germany. Bombs dropped at several points hit houses, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. Our fighters shot down two enemy machines. A British machine attempted to bomb the aerodrome at Stavanger, but was shot down. The enemry lost a total of 12 planes in aerial combat and four through anti-airoraft fire. One of our machines is missing.” LIGHT CASUALTY LISTS LONDON, June 28. (Received June 29, at 10 a.m.) The Ministry of Home Security announced that three civilians were injured in last night’s air raid. No people were killed. Sixteen civilians were injured and nobody was killed in the raids on the night of June 26-27. CAPTURED ITALIAN BOMBER CREATES GREAT INTEREST IN ADEN (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 27. According to reports from Aden, considerable interest has been created locally by the presence of a captured Italian bomber, which had recently flown 150 miles back from the place in the desert where it had been forced down by a British pilot, who first captured the Italian crew of five. There was a large crowd all day round the tri-motor Italian plane. Incidentally, the action of the British pilot in taking off from a dumpy wadi in an aircraft of which he had no experience, drew a tribute of professional admiration from the Italian pilot. He called his captor “ Homo Fantistico.” It is also reported from Aden that news was received there that another Italian bomber, after the same unsuccessful raid towards Aden on June 12, made a forced landing in French Somaliland, and was seen by a pair of Somali militiamen. Despite fire from the bomber’s machine guns, the Somalis gradually crept up, and forced three of the surviving crew to surrender. One Somali marched them to the nearest post, while the other guarded the aircraft. ______ BELGIANS FIGHTING ON RALLYING TO BRITISH CAUSE LONDON, June 28. (Received June 29,’ at 11.10 a.m.) The Belgian Minister, M. Jaspar, in a statement, said: “ At the side of our French, Dutch, Polish, and Norwegian Allies we will rally round the British Empire. All Belgians not living under German domination in Belgium .will continue the war, trusting in the word of Britain. As a result of my appeal on June 23, I have received many telegrams from- Belgian associations, the British Empire, the Congo, and tlfe French Empire. Many Belgian officers who have reached Britain are at my side.”'