HEAVY ATTACK ON BIRMINGHAM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21836, 13 December 1940, Page 7

HEAVY ATTACK ON BIRMINGHAM

Extensive Damage Few Incidents In London By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received December 12, 10.0 p.m.) LONDON, December 12. Birmingham was smashingly attacked but all the fires were quelled by midnight. One district suffered severely It is reported that one shelter was directly hit but casualties throughout the city are not believed to be heavy Raiders over London to-night provided little incident and apparently concentrated on Brimingham, on which the attack began with the customary dropping of incendiaries. A bus was hit by a high explosive. Bombs also damaged a church, some schools, a sports pavilion and house property. Casualties are not believed to be numerous, although some persons were killed. Raiders were also reported over Liverpool, Wales, north-west, southwest and south-east England. A bomb dropped in London this morning directly hit a water tank, causing a small flood. Royal Air Force fighters this afternoon intercepted eight Messerschm’rts off the south-east coast. The Me-«r-schmitts bolted for home. Only nine of Coventry's 30 churches remain undamaged. It can now be revealed that Etqn College was damaged in a recent raid. Stained glass windows were blown out and the headmaster’s house and the school yard was damaged. Classrooms designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the reign of King Charles II were also damaged. A Berlin message says: “Squadrons of German bombers to-night are carrying out the ‘heaviest kind of attacks’

on military objectives in Britain’s industrial Midlands.”

Despite bad weather, Royal Air Force bombers last night carried out an attack last night on a number of targets in Western Germany and occupied territory. The targets included railway junctions, power stations, aerodromes and inland docks, states a communique. Docks at invasion ports along the Channel, and occupied territory were also attacked by small bomber forces. Two of our 'planes are missing.