SHEFFIELD AGAIN

Grey River Argus, 17 December 1940, Page 5

SHEFFIELD AGAIN

ENEMY AIR RAIDS On English Towns SATURDAY NIGHT’S MAIN TARGET. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, December 15. Relays of German bombers, facing heavy anti-aircraft fire shortly after nightfall, rained a hail of bombs on a northern England town. Raiders were also reported over west and south-west areas. The sky was clear and a brilliant full moon made ' flying conditions ideal. RUGBY, December 15. Enemy activity over Britain, last night, was slight, states the official communique, which adds: “In the early evening, bombs were dropped on a town in the 'Thames Estuary. Several houses were damaged and a few people were killed and others injured. Elsewhere very little damage was done, and very few casualties were reported.” The presence of enemy aircraft was reported over Northern Ireland, last night, according to' a statement of the Ministry of Public Security in Northern Ireland. A.A. guns were in action. No bombs were dropped and no incident reported. No bombs were dropped in any part of England during daylight today, states the official communique.

Sunday Night Raids

EASE UP EARLY NORTHERN TOWNS VISITED [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Received December 16, 8.20 p.m.) LONDON, December 15. There was widespread German air activity over "Britain in the early hours of darkness ;• on Sunday. The raiding died down to almost nothing on Monday morning after midnight. Th e London area, and a northwest of England town which was attacked, were both clear of the raiders before midnight’bn Sunday. Many fire bombs and explosive bombs fell on a town in th e northeast of England, but this attack was not on the “butz” scale.

30 Fires Alleged

REPORTED IN MIDLANDS TOWN (Received December 16, 8.20 p.m.) BERLIN, December 15.. Informed circles in Berlin state that the Germans have carried out a “highly successful” raid upon an important town in the Midlands. They claimed that the returning planes saw thirty large scale blazes.

Nation-wide Raiding

ON SUNDAY NIGHT [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Received December 17. 1.45 a.m) LONDON. December IG. The Battle for Britain was a nationwide affair on Sunday night. There wer e enemy aircraft flying over almost all parts of the country, including London, towns in East Anglia, towns in the Midlands, and also towns in the south-east, the south-west, and the west of England. London’s “all clear” signal came after a few hours. THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT [Aus. & N.Z. Cable xXssn.] (Received December 17, 1.45 a.m.i LONDON, December 16. The Air Ministry in a communique dated December 16, said: “Enemy ijombers on Sunday _ evening attacked the industrial region of the North of England, where damage was caused to houses and to other property. The reports thus far indicate that the casualties have not been very heavy. There were a number ot fires caused in one town. Thes’e were soon got under control “There was a small scale attack on parts of the London urea. There was little damage done. There were a few casualties. “Bombs wer e also dropped in otherparts of the country. The damage there was slight.” DRIFTER DOWNS GERMAN PLjANE. LONDON, December 15. “When H.M. drifter, Evening Primrose. was attacked by aircraft in the North Sea yesterday,” states an Admiralty communique, “she retaliated immediately and effectively with her anti-aircraft armament. The enemy was seen to be hit and set on fire. Visibility on the surface was so low that the enemy aircraft was not seen to crash into the water, but almost immediately after the burning aircraft disappeared in the mist a crash and an explosion were heard from the direction in which it had been flying. In the circumstances it is considered certain thdt the Evening Primrose accounted for its attacker. No damage or casualties were sustained by the Evening Primrose.”