RAIDS ON BRITAIN

Opotiki News, Volume III, Issue 355, 25 October 1940, Page 3

RAIDS ON BRITAIN

MARKED SLACKENING ISOLATED ATTACKS LONDON AND PROVINCES CASUALTIES EEW (News by Cable.) LONDON, Oct. 23. A heavy mist blotting out tho Straits of Dover is believed to have been, partly responsible for tho marked slackening in the night raids on London. High explosive bombs demolished a number of houses in one district and several persons were buriedunder the debris. A time bomb exploded in a London area after it had been dug up by members of a dernoltion squad, who were at lunch. There were no casualties and the damage was not serious. A communique issued by the Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security states that enemy air activity was to-day confined to a few isolated attacks by single aircraft. Bombs were dropped on a town of the south coast and in two places in a London area. Only slight damage. was caused' and there were no casualties except at one place in a London area where the number was very small. Raiders Shot Down

It is officially stated that three German raiders were siiot down in last night’s encounters. Six British lighters were lost, but two of the pilots are safe. A lifeboat rescued the pilot of a Messerschmitt which crashed in the 'sea near Hastings. Another lifeboat vainly searched for survivors of a German plane seen crashing aflame -some distance from the shore.

Passengers flung themselves on the floor when a bomb-carrying Messersebmitt swooped down and ma-chine-gunned a bus climbing a steep hill on the Kentish coast this evening. No damage was done and there were no casualties.