NIGHT VICTIMS
BALLOON BARRAGE THREE MACHINES DOWN CASUAL AIR BOMBING SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 2.30 p.m. RUGBY, Feb. 19. A joint communique issued by the Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security states: “This morning bombs were dropped in two places on the coast of Scotland. Some damage was done to buildings. A small number of casualties occurred. A few bombs also were dropped near the coast of Anglia, but these caused little damage and no one was seriously hurt. “It is now known that on the night of February 5 an enemy bomber collided with a balloon cable and was destroyed.’’ A communique issued last night states: “There was a small amount of enemy activity this afternoon, mainly over Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Some bombs were dropped, but the reports so far received indicate that little damage and few casualties were caused.” Accurate Shooting Including the enemy raider brought down by collision with a balloon cable, as announced in the Air Ministry communique, the balloon barriage destroyed three night raiders on eight days this month, states the Air Ministry news service. The other two were shot down by the gun crews of the balloon barrage. The first bomber crashed into a balloon cable. The engines of the raider failed after a fierce flash was seen in the sky and the aircraft fell into the sea. Three nights later the crew of a barrage balloon opened fire on enemy bombers. Immediately there was an explosion and a sheet of flame and the'aircraft dived into the sea about a mile and a half away. Another balloon barrage brought down a third bomber five nights later. The gun crew held her fire until the aircraft was directly overhead when they opened up, and hits were registered on the machine. Shortly afterwards the bomber burst into flames and crashed. Although they normally work on balloons, the crew of the balloon barrage are trained in gunnery.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20486, 21 February 1941, Page 11
Word Count
329NIGHT VICTIMS Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20486, 21 February 1941, Page 11
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