EXTENSIVE NIGHT RAIDS

Evening Star, Issue 23666, 28 August 1940, Page 7

EXTENSIVE NIGHT RAIDS

PROMISCUOUS BOMBING

Nazi 3ombers’ Excursions Fires in Midlands Area 6 OVER LONDON SIX HOURS Exploiting a Nuisance Value frees Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON,, August 27. » (Beeoived August 28, at 10 a.m.) Britain last night experienced its most extensive night raids tince th.e outbreak of the war. Enemy planes attacked across 500 miles of coastline, and raiders were reported- from areas extending from the north-east through the Midlands to the south-west. Screaming-, whistling, and incendiary bombs were dropped in many areas, but generally the bombs dropped were lew considering the length of the raids. The raid on London last night lasted for hours. Attacks were delivered also in the Midlands area, where fires caused damage to industrial property in two towns. There were a number of casualties, including , some killed. Bombs also fell in several other parts of the country, damaging house property, but the reports indicate that the casualties were slight. Two enemy bombers were shot down by anti-aircraft fire in the early hours of the morning. . During last night’s raids theatres anti cinemas were converted into dosshouses, and all-night concerts were held. the raid passed the sixth hour many Londoners left lhe shelters for a stroll and some decided to walk home. Nine bombs fell during a night raid in the north-east of England. The raiders came in waves and met severe gunfire. Searchlights threw a two-mile sheet of light across the sky. The,raiders circled in a fumbling manner before they dropped bombs, apparently at random. There was no serious damage. It is believed that*a dozen planes were over the London area at one stage. Anti-aircraft guns and planes were clearly audible \ in several areas. Searchlights converged in one London area after four hours. Four heavy flashes, apparently the result of high explosive bombs, occurred on a road. No bombs were dropped in Central London and most of them fell in the outskirts, including the west and south-west. During the later stages the raiders approached singly, apparently taking turns to circle over London in wide sweeps at a great height, dome flew at 20,000 feet. Apparently these new -tactics are designed to exploit their nuisance value to the utmost by delaying the all clear signal and stopping night work in war industry. Authoritative circles in Berlin bint that a grand massed attack on Britain is imminent.

IMMEDIATE REPRISAL UNWISE ATTACKS ON WAR PUNT FIRST OBJECTIVE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 27, (Received August 28, at 11 a.m.) The ‘Daily Telegraph’ says: “Not 'unnaturally, the German bombing of noft-military objectives has raised a demand for reprisals in kind, but it would be contrary to sound strategy to adopt such a course at the expense of the main objective of weakening the - enemy’s power of mischief by atacking his bases and factories. In fulfilment of that aim we have inflicted far more damage on the enemy^ than he has been able to inflict on us, Sunday’s attack on- Beilin was a blow at important producing plants. If and when it becomes expedient, our airmen can always get to Berlin again; but it will be at our own chosen time, and not as an immediate counter to provocation received.” The ‘ Manchester Guardian ’ says; It is not wholly a popular myth that the German airmen are not good at night flying. What is important is whether, with practice, they might turn out to be as good as we are, and that is unlikely. Oar pilots have studied Germany by night for many months, but the Germans have only just begun to ' find their way about Britain. If German pilots’ training is less rigorous than ours, he can never hope to be as good. While it is always possible to damage a town severely at night, it is tha kind of damage done that matters. ” GERMAN AIRMEN •ENT BACK TO TRAINING SCHOOL ANKARA, August 27. According to a copy of Dr Goebb'els’s journal, ‘ Signal,’ received here, German airmen who have taken part in raids over Britain have been returned to training schools for improvement in bombing technique, which was apparently below expectations. The authorities declare that the preUni inary bombing has been completed and the detailed destruction of British jrar industries will be begun.

AIR RAID FAILURES

ILLUMINATING NEUTRAL REPORTS HONESTY INCENSES NAZIS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 27. (Received August 28, at 11 a.m.) The ‘ Daily Express ’ says the fact that our aircraft workers last week turned out more bombers and fighters than ever before -provides the answer to Germany’s mass raids, tip-and-run expeditions, reconnaissance flights, and solitary night bombings. A resort to screaming bombs, parachutes without and delayed action bombs have all been tried without disturbing the good temper, common sense, and calm of the British people. The relatively unimportant military results of the enemy air attacks are being increasingly emphasised in the neutral Press by correspondents here, who have had ample opportunities of assessing them, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the prominence given abroad to these despatches is causing growing irritation in Germany. The ‘ Voelkischer Beobachter ’ is indignant that “ the disastrous effect of German air raids on England ” is not admitted in neutral countries, and even adopts a threatening attitude. , In the meanwhile radio ‘ broadcasts from Germany and German-occupied territory reiterate the most extravagant claims as to the damage caused in Britain. PRACTICE IN NIGHT FLYING » ORDERS FROM GOERING DAYLIGHT RAIDS TOO COSTLY MOSCOW, August 27. (Received August 28, at 2 p.m.) The radio stated that Goering’s daylight raids over Britain proved so expensive that the Gorman air force has been ordered to conduct exercises in night flying, which is being carried out on a large scale over Central Germany and German-occupied Poland.