ENEMY THWARTED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 300, 18 November 1940, Page 7

ENEMY THWARTED

FORMATIONS BROKEN UP. THIRTEEN PLANES DOWN. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. IJ a.m.) LONDON, Nov. If Thirteen enemy planes were destroyed over Britain to-day. Five of our planes were lost, but tfie pilots of four are safe. Several waves of enemy jilanes crossed the coast this morning, hut fighters and anti-aircraft guns broke up the formations. Fighters shot down a Dormer into the sea off Aldebnrgh. This Dornier had previously dropped bombs in a country district along the coast. Tl ,e crew baled out, and three landed inland and one fell into the sea, from

which he was rescued. Nine raiders dive-bombed in the vicinity of an East Anglian coast town and then made off to sea after causing little damage. Two auxiliary firemen and one farewoman were killed, and some persons were injured, when an explosive lell outside a' school used as a sub-fire station in tlie London area last night. The blast wrecked the interior and destroyed the fire appliances, and also damaged nearby houses. Two explosives demolished four, houses and damaged others in a nearby road. . The Ministry of Home Security has announced that a considerable number of houses were damaged and, a number of casualties —a small number fatal—occurred when bombs were dropped in

a south-east town shortly beiore dawn. There was some further activity m the Channel and on the South-East Coast during the afternoon. Bombs were dropped in three places on the coast of Sussex, damaging some houses and other buildings, and causing a small number of casualties in one place. , , , One of the 13 enemy planes destroyed to-day was brought down by antiaircraft fire. , The Admiralty states that the paddle minesweeper Sonthsea shot down a.n enemy plane which attacked her this morning. There were no Germau survivors, but the Soutbsea sustained no damage or casualties. A HUNDRED RAIDERS.

An early account of to-day’s fighting records how about 100 enemy aircraft took part in the attack. About 9 a.m. various groups of enemy fighters, with two small formations of bombers flying close together, came in over the Kentish coast and up the Thames Estuary. A few crossed the Suffolk coast, but the estuary seemed the main objective. *, While the rest of his squadron were attacking one formation, a single Hurricane pilot became separated and attacked another. He had just time to persuade this second lot that they had better go back to France when their escort —a number of Messerschmitt 110’s—attacked him from the rear. Two Spitfire squadrons routed more than 40 enemy fighters. Sixteen Messerschmitt 109’s, in pairs, flew iu front, followed by 20 more m line abreast, with half a dozen Heinkel il3’s a little above them. The Messerschmitts did not seo any of the Spitfires until one of their number had already been destroyed.

Between them these two squadrons accounted for eight of the enemy. Six were seen to crash into the sea, one more went down in flames, and an eighth exploded in mid air.

SUSTAINED ATTACK. BOMBERS OVER LONDON. LONDON, Nov. 17. The Air Ministry announced that a heavy and sustained attack was made on London on Friday night. The defences forced the raiders to operate at such a height as to make accurate bombing impossible, and explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped indiscriminately over many parts of the capital. Considerable damage was done, mostly to dwelling-houses, shops and offices. Many fires were started, but they were under control with remarkable speed in tlie difficult circumstances. A number of persons were killed and injured. i Including two bombers which were destroyed in the night attack on London before midnight, a total of 20 were destroyed. Two oi our fighters were lost but one of the pilots is safe. Seven London hospitals were bombed during the night. Three wards in the main block of a hospital in a suburb were destroyed by fire, but the patients, most of them men, were able to leave their beds and walk to safety. Other places which were hit included a furniture depository, school, two rest centres, two convents, and two cinemas.

Experts estimate that as many planes operated as against Coventry possibly 500. Lord Stanmore was among the injured. - On Friday night bombs were also dropped on a town on. the South Coast, causing damage to many houses anti a number of casualties, some of them fatal. Three more raiding bombers were shot down over Britain after midnight. DWELLINGS DEVASTATED. The raids on Saturday night were much less heavy, and again were mainly concentrated on London and the Home Counties. Dwelling-houses suffered severely in some places, but the damage was not extensive- Some were killed or injured. Incendiary bombs were dropped on a town in the Midlands early in the night, but the fires were quickly put out and there were no casualties. Bombs were dropped shortly before dawn on a town in Southern England and a number of houses were damaged, the casualties being few. An enemy bomber was shot down in (lames. It crashed in flapies in the village i Woodnesborough in Kent after heavy anti-aircraft fire. The crew were killed Saturday night’s raids were divided into two periods, the first shortly i '-' :er the black-out and a second just before dawn. Many incendiary bombs fell m the first period and caused a big fire in a block of empty buildings unused since the outbreak of war. An explosive bomb hit a bus and damaged two others bv the blast Four were killed. Several hundred incendiary bombs foil in and around a. south-east town this morning- Many fell in a chinchyard and school causing slight damage but no casualties. \ low flyer bombed an East Coast town killing one. A bomber flew over the Hebrides yesterday and machinegunned a lighthouse. No bombs were dropped and there were no casualties.