NAZI SAVAGERY

Evening Star, Issue 23728, 8 November 1940, Page 5

NAZI SAVAGERY

BLIND BOMBING OF LONDON GREAT FIRE STARTED BUILDINGS REDUCED TO RUBBLE Press Association—By Telegraph—CppyngliS LONDON, November 7. (Received November 8, at 11.30 a.m.) 1 , Despite its early and fierce opening, last night’s raid on London was less prolonged than the previous night. Tha Luftwaffe were overhead for hours on end, but instead of scattering their bombs in pairs as in other heavy onslaughts they appeared to unload whole plane loads at one time. A stick of seven high explosives, almost shaving the roof of an historia edifice, started a mountainous fire. Firemen went into action before the debris' had ceased falling. A block of business premises was reduced to nibble. Salvos here and there wi*cked rows of suburban dwellings. Nuns, French soldiers, root spotters, and several members of the auxiliary fire service were among the night’s casualties, the last named when a fira station was directly hit. Three formations of enemy aircraft approached the country during the day. The first entered the Thames Estuary, about midday, but did not succeed in penetrating to the capital. About tha same time a single enemy aircraft flew, over London at a great height and was shot down. The second and third formations unsuccessfully attacked tha Portsmouth area in the afternoon. Both attacks were intercepted." No damage or casualties are reported. A few bombs were dropped early in the afternoon on two east coast towns, but caused little damage and few casualties. Seven enemy aircraft were shot down in raids over Britain to-day. Five R.A.F. planes were lost, but all the pilots are safe. Of the seven machines brought down four — three Messerschmitt a J unkers 87—were sent crashing into the sea off the coast by one Hurricane squadron.

BATTLE SIX MILES UP

MESSERSCHMITT DESTROYED (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 7. (Received November 8, at 12.15 p.m.)] When a Messerschmitt 110 crashed in the outskirts of London. to-day two Hurricane pilots did not know they had shot this fighter-bomber down. It was first sighted as it flew nearly sis miles above the East Anglian coast. Our fighters were patrolling 10,000 ft below; and chased the enemy over London, climbing all the time. Above Chiswick they came into range. The German pilot tried to escape by climbing still higher; but one of our fighters opened fire at 200yds, and as he went into attack flashed past only 10yds from tha enemy. The other fighter let the Messerchmitt have all his ammunition when it had climbed to 31,000 ft. The Messerschmitt rolled down' 4,000 ft and then picked up I,oooft before it escaped into a cloud. Landing at their base, the fighter pilots reported that they had damaged the bomber. They knew they had hit it, but said they had only seen black and white smoke coming from its engines. The intelligence officer corrected them—they had destroyed it and the wreckage had dropped sis miles out of the sky.

ITALIAN PILOTS

FAILURE IN RAIDS ON BRITAIN ROME, November 7. The ‘ Giornale d’ltalia ’ admits that Italian pilots are finding increasing difficulties over Britain, attributing their failure to the disadvantage of the personnel being untrained in night flying and not knowing the climatio conditions. The ‘ Messagero,’ similarly excusing the pilots, says: “The Italians must become accustomed to the uniformity, of landscape, and also the fact that operations over Britain must be undertaken solely by instruments. The most difficult task is the insertion of tha Italian Air Corps into the extremely complex organism of the Luftwaffe.” The paper admits the difficulties of successfully evading British anti-aiw craft guns, whose range changes every day.

CALL TO FRENCH SAILORS

(By Radio.) DAVENTRY, November 8. A call to French sailors to unit* against the enemy was broadcast from London by the director of the merchant navy of Free France. He stated that over 25 per cent, of the French merchant navy was now taking part in th* fight against Germany.

THAILAND MISSION

ARRIVAL 1H AUSTRALIA SYDNEY, November 8. (Received November 8, at 12.35 p.m.V] Members of the goodwill mission frcna Thailand have arrived. The leadej -aid they had been entrusted with the task of cementing more strongly the icla* tions with Australia.