ROBOT PLANES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25566, 20 June 1944, Page 5

ROBOT PLANES

GERMAN HYSTERIA FANTASTIC PROPAGANDA (Rec. 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 19. Dr Goebbels is sfill taking every opportunity of playing up the effects of the pilotless bombers and feeding the Germans with fantastic stories of burning British cities. A German radio commentator, addressing the German people this morni.ng, said: “You must not ask questions about the details of our weapon of retaliation. Be content with knowing that it is wreaking terrible vengeance. Another German radio announcer, rising to even greater hysterical heights, stated that all the roads loading from London were clocked by refugees taking the few belongings they rescued from the flames of burning London. ' The British United Press correspondent at Stockholm says the Nazi leaders are apparently becoming fearful of the new propaganda overshooting the mark and making the Germans believe that the war is practically won. The Volkischer Beobachter, in a leader, warns its readers not to expect too much from the new weapon, and reminds them that there is still hard fighting ahead.

Mr F. G. Miles, the well-known aircraft designer, told the Sunday Express that the British Government turned down a practical design for a pilotless plane in 1940 on the ground that it was an . indiscriminate weapon and would be the means of waging warfare upon civilians. Residents on the south coast have watched scores of exciting races during the last few days between pilotless planes and fighters, says the Daily Mail. The robots cross the Channel singly at intervals of about five minutes, travelling at least 250 miles an hour from Calais and Boulogne, varying their direction in the hope of getting through to the south of England, but not all are allowed to pass. As soon as they are within two miles of the British coast they are attacked by anti-aircraft guns or fighters. Attacks Continue

Robot pilotless planes were over Southern England intermittently all day yesterday, stated the Press Association. There are indications that success is rewarding the combined efforts of anti-aircraft batteries and' fighters to bring down the robots over the sea and country. The morning service had not long begun in one church-when a pilotless plane crashed in through the roof. The church collapsed, only, the rear wall being left standing, reports the Daily Express. A number of worshippers were killed. Rescue workers, striped to vest and trousers, worked under the last remaining arch, which was cracked and unsteady, to reach those entombed. Some of these have already been taken out and sent to hospital. . All but a small wing of a hospital in Southern England was demolished when a pilotless plane exploded in the early hours of this morning, says the Daily Telegraph. Some patients were killed. One nurse was killed, and three are missing. British, American, and Canadian soldiers hurried to the scene, and began assisting civil defence workers in digging among the wreckage. A night nurse said: “The patients were wonderfully calm. Morphia was given to many. Four women were buried alive under a wall, and were extricated after two hours’ digging. Five more women were dug out from the far corner.” The nurse, pointing to the wreckage, said: “That black twisted little monster, which is all that remains of the pilotless plane, is now mixed up with our X-ray equipment.” Practically every window was blown out of another hospital when a robot plane crashed. The wards were littered with glass, but there were no casualties. A convent was also destroyed. One nun who was injured has since died.

Another pilotless plane fell at teatime among people returning from a Sunday afternoon walk. Children were among the victims. Fighters Patrol Coast

R.A.F. fighters patrolled the coast from daybreak on the watch for robot planes, at' least one of which is believed to have blown up in mid-air. Ack-ack gunners sent up heavy fire as the raiders were sent over singly from France at intervals. A number of robots are believed to have been shot down during the night by fighters and ack-ack fire. The gunners were particularly successful against robots caught in the searchlight beams. Every effort is being made to shoot down the robots over the sea before reaching the coast. People going to church were injured, some seriously, when a pilotless plane fell in Southern England this morning. Two people were killed and a number injured when another fell on a sports ground. The German Overseas News Agency stated that pilots of fast German bombers which last night attacked targets in' the Thames area reported observing extremely heavy explosions’ Caused by the German “hellhounds.” A thick pall of smoke extended several thousand feet above the Thames Loop. A German High Command communique said very heavy harassing fire continues to be directed almost uninterruptedly against London and the outer districts.