RAIDERS REPULSED

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 October 1939, Page 7

RAIDERS REPULSED

FIRTH OF FORTH ATTACK HEAVY LOSS IN ’PLANES [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] LONDON, October 17. At least four enemy aeroplanes were brought down out of a total of between 12 and 14 which took part yesterday in Germany’s first major air attack on Britain. The raid was made on shipping lying in the Firth of Forth. Three enemy aeroplanes were brought down by the Royal Air Force. In the Royal Air Force there were no casualties and no losses, but two naval officers and 13 men were killed. and 12 men were seriously injured.

These casualties were sustained on two cruisers, the Southampton and the Edinburgh, and a destroyer, the Mohawk. The Southampton was the only ship directly struck by a bomb, blit it was a. glancing blow and caused only slight damage near the bow.

It is stated the German raiders may have lost more than four planes. Two were seen flying under difficulty, and may have had to descend into the sea. Another possibly fell in the Pentland Hills. These would increase the losses to seven planes. No direct hits were made by the raiders. A British Official Wireless message gives the following, as the joint communique on the raid issued yesterday by the Admiralty, the' Air Ministry, and the Ministry of Home Security: — “To-day between 9 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. several German aircraft reconnoitred Rosyth. This afternoon, about 2.30 o’clock, a series of bombing raids began. These were directed at ships lying in the Firth of Forth, and werei conducted by about 12 machines. All batteries opened fire on the raiders, and a Royal Air Force fighter squadron ascended to engage them.” EYE-WITNESS’S STORY. LONDON, October 17. Eye-witnesses of the German airraids describe attempts to bomb the Forth Bridge. The raiders were driven off by heavj' fire, but they returned time and again. They dropped bombs which caused huge Avaterspouts, nut did no damage. A train passenger said: At Dalmeny, we ■were told that an air-raid rvas in progress. It was left to our discretion as to whether we would continue our journey across the Forth Bridge. Most of us .decided to continue. As the train travelled slowly across the bridge, two planes appeared to dive over us, dropping bombs near the bridge. One of the German planes went down, smoking, into the sea. Fishermen went out in a small boat and rescued three of the tour members of the crew before the plane sank. Spectators helped the Germans ashore. Two of them were seriously injured. One of the German pilots said: “We had no chance to get away "from the British plane. It was much too fast for us.”

CITY NOT IN DANGER. LONDON. October 17. ( Edinburgh received its first intimation of the air-raids when it heard heavy anti-aircraft firing on both sides' of the Firth of Forth. There I were also explosions on the Fife side) of the Forth, which were heard later.' In fact,' splinters from anti-aircratt 1 shells fell in numerous Fife towns. • The Edinburgh correspondent ot “The Times” says: The citizens showed interest, not fear, when the bark

of the anti-aircraft guns and bursts of machine-gun fire broke into their after-luncheon meditations. They were at first puzzled oyer the- silence of the sirens, but they were reassured to see Royal Air Force fighters hotly pursuing the Germans. ' It was later explained that the sirens were not sounded because the city was not endangered, as the raiders were. only attacking other targets. Householders, who were standing in groups, were not excited when the Swastika plane skimmed over the roof-tops. Groups of people gathered on housetops to watch the spectacle through binoculars, and they were delighted to see the Germans being out-' manoeuvred at every turn.

GERMAN VERSION. BERLIN, October 17. A German communique on’the airraids stated: German bombers successfully attacked British warships in the Firth of Forth. Two British cruisers were hit. The attack was carried out in the face of heavy British antiaircraft fire. Two British chaser planes were shot down. Two German planes are missing. RAID ON SCAPA FLOW. OLD BATTLESHIP DAMAGED. (Received October 18, 11 a.m.) LONDON, October 17. It is officially announced that the Iron Duke was hit and damaged in a second air-raid on Scapa Flow to-day. FOUR PLANES ENGAGED. RUGBY, October 17.

Mr. Chamberlain, in the . Commons, describing the Scapa Flow raid this morning by about four machines, said that two bombs fell very near the Iron Duke, which sustained certain damage. There.were no casualties. He recalled that the Iron Duke is an old battleship, demilitarised, with her armour removed. She is being used as a depot and training ship. One aircraft- was shot down in flames, and another was probably damaged.

In his account of yesterday’s Firth of Forth raids, Mr. Chamberlain said that twelve or possibly more German aircraft, in waves-of two or three at a time, came over. Two civilians were slightly injured, but the damage to civilian property was negligible. The naval casualties on the Southampton and Edinburgh, which suffered slight damage, but are ready for sea, and on the Mohawk, the damage to which is superficial, numbered three officers and 13 ratings killed or died of wounds; two officers and 31 ratings slightly injured; and H ratings seriously injured. The enemy was at once engaged by the Air Force. Four enemy bombers were brougth down, one by gunfire; also a number of other enemy aircraft ■were heavily damaged, and may not have been able to reach home. Mr. Chamberlain said it was not considered appropriate to issue an airraid warning, because the attack ap- ( peared to be local and small, and the i defences were fully ready. A warn- 1 ing would have caused -widespread, dislocation and inconvenience. The circumstances under which the- train crossed the Forth Bridge would be considered. The local defences were fully effective.

1 ORKNEYS ATTEMPT FAILS. I (Received October IS, 11.45 a.m.) . LONDON. October 17. The Admiralty announces a second I air-raid on the Orkneys, from 12.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m., by two formations of six and four aircraft, respectively. There was no damage, and no casualties. One raider is reported to have been destroyed.

MAIL STEAMER’S ESCAPE. LONDON, October 17.’ The Royal Mail steamer Stola was bombed, between Scapa and Thurso, but no damage was caused. Land guns brought down one plane. English Coast activity RAID WARNINGS SOUNDED (Recd. Oct. 18, 11 a.m.). LONDON, October 17. The Air Ministry announced: The observer corps reported enemy aircraft activity along the east coast, this morning and afternoon. Air-raid warnings were issued in some districts of Lincolnshire, and on the East Anglian and Kent coasts. Immediately our fighter and anti-aircraft defences went into action. No bombs were dropped in any of these districts. One enemy aircraft was intercepted on the Yorkshire coast, and pursued out to sea. Air-raid warnings were sounded at Hull. Bridlington. Grimsby. Felixstowe, Chatham, Southend, and Ipswich. z OFF NORTH-EAST COAST. ’ ' ENEMY ’PLANES SHOT DOWN. (Received October 18, 1.20 p.m.) LONDON, October 17. The Air Ministry announces: After the earlier reported enemy activity off the East Coast, the Royal Air Force observed two enemy aircraft off the north-east coast. They attacked and shot them down, both falling' into the sea. One crew was rescued. Our ’planes returned safely. FLIGHT OVER GERMANY. R.A.F. MACHINE FORCED DOWN. LONDON, October 17. The Air Ministry announced that a number of Royal Air Force planes carried out a successful reconnaissance over Western and North-West-ern Germany, yesterday. One machine has not returned. An Amsterdam report stated that a German pursuit plane compelled a British plane to land near Lingen, in Germany. The machine struck a farm building, and caught fire. The three airmen, one of whom was wounded by machine-gun fire, were saved.