HEAVY ATTACK ON MIDLANDS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21820, 25 November 1940, Page 5

HEAVY ATTACK ON MIDLANDS

LARGE NAZI FLEET TAKES PART London Has Longest Alert By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November 24, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 23. The Air Ministry reports: Bombs were dropped on many parts of England last night including Merseyside and the London area. The main enemy attacks were directed against the West Midlands, where many fires were caused, but all were brought under control. Houses, business premises and other buildings were damaged. It is known that a number of people were killed. The raid on West Midlands towns continued after midnight when it is estimated that, more raiders participated than in any previous attack on the Midlands. The damage to residential property was widespread. A church and two convents were hit. Preparations are being made to evacuate a hospital which was damaged by bombs. Two sailors w*’”” tilled and five persons injured when a raider dropped two bombs on Liverpool, damaging workers' houses and shops. London had its longest alert yet, lasting more than 13 hours. Bombs damaged houses and shops in one area. Four persons were trapped in a bus and two were killed. During the raid on the West Midlands a bomb struck the rear of the municipal buildings and masses of masonry blocked the street below. The police station, hotels, schools and art gallery were hit. There was little damage in the centre of the town. Rescue squads tolled while bombs were falling around them. The Air Ministry announced—“We shot down seven Italian and three German aircraft up to 5.30 p.m. to-day. Up to 11 p.m. the total enemy losses was 11 ’planes. According to a British Official Wireless message the Air Ministry and Home Security communique dealing with to-day’s raids states:—Enemy bombers and fighter-bombers to-day made three raids on south-east England. One small formation flying at a great height penetrated to the London area. Very few bombs are so far reported but some damage was done to dwellinghouses in the suburbs south of London and a town in the Thames estuary. The casualties, so far as is known at present, are very small. Italian Air Force Suffers The Italian air force again received rough treatment at the hands of the Royal Air Force to-day. A squadron of Spitfires shot down seven Italian fighters and one German fighter in the Strait of Dover. The Spitfire squadron suffered no losses. Mr Anthony Eden yesterday made an extensive tour of a number of areas in the midlands, including Coventry, where he saw troops engaged in assisting the civil authorities to repair the raided city. He also inspected the anti-aircra.t defences. Elsewhere Mr Eden saw military exercises by Czech troops and was greatly impressed by their keenness. Berlin officials declared that strong German air squadrons again attacked Birmingham during the night including dive-bombing attacks on Important aircraft and other factories. The Berlin News Agency, referring to the attack on Birmingham says that whole streets and a block of factory buildings were destroyed or gutted. The attacks were concentrated on armament works which hitherto had not been hit. Fires indicated that not only houses were burning but huge stocks of raw material like raw wool and cotton which were stored in Birmingham. As far as can be ascertained, not a single bomb was dropped on London on Thursday night. The German communique confines its claims of successes to raids on the night of November 2021. Of a few German machines over the south of England, two Dorniers were shot down, one falling in Surrey and the other in Suffolk. It is revealed that since heavy raids on London began, 80 policemen have been killed and 440 injured. Two explosive bombs wrecked the French Church of Notre Dame, in Leicester Square. Searching the debris of two bombed houses in a working district in the south-east of England, a rescue squad heard a man’s voice saying: “Save my wife. Never mind me.” Rescuers found the wife dead, and her invalid husband under the beams nearby, badly injured. He asked whether his wife was still alive, and then died in hospital. Lone Raider Shot Down A lone enemy Dornier 215 caught by surprise above the clouds was shot down over Surrey on Friday, morning by a Hurricane of the Fighter Command, states the Air Ministry. Two Hurricanes flying at 16,000 feet sighted the Dornier near Guildford, about 10,000 feet below them. The bomber was on the cloud tops when one of the fighters dived to make a stern attack. The Hurricane pilot saw pieces fall away from the raider, which turned on its back and crashed in flames. ’Plane Losses For War ’Plane losses since the outbreak of tire war are:— British 1668 German 508.9 Italian 336 Greek 11