Evening star., 1939-12-07
British WorpIones Beat Off
Nozi Raid on Firth of Forth;
Germans Attack on West Front
Skirmish Is Fought
Off Northeast Coast
Of England
N the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 7.-German war
planes raided the vital Firth Of
Forth area shortly after noon today,
but the air ministry said they were
driven off by British fighting planes
"and one of their aircraft was
seen to be hit"
The air ministry announced also
that British fighters had skirmished
with two German planes off the
northeast coast and driven them out
to sea. One German plane was said
to have been hit in this encounter.
Authoritative British sources also
reported air engagements over the
North Sea yesterday in which two
big German Dornier flying boats
were said to have been badly dam
aged
No bombing was reported in to-
days raid on the Firth of Forth,
strategic inlet on which lie Edin-
burgh and the Rosyth naval base.
Describes Battle.
British reports on yesterdays
North Sea air fights said they
"again demonstrated the superior
fighting qualities Of British air
crews"
One British pilot said of his fight
against one of the German flying
boats:
after my third attack climbed
1000 feet and carried out another
attack on his tail. One long burst
was seen to enter around the en-
gines of the plane"
The pilot said the crippled Ger
man craft then sought refuge in low
clouds apparently hoping to limp
home.
The Pilot reporting damaging the
second Dornier said he climbed be-
tween the enemy and the sun and
then dived. "plastering the Dornier
with lead"
Air Raid Warning Sounded.
The air ministry announced that
an air raid warning was sounded in
the Firth of Forth region shortly
after midday" today.
The all-clear signal was given
after IS minutes. Heavy gunfire was
heard all along the coast and planes
were observed diving from great
height.
The Firth of Forth area, in South
eastern Scotland. was the scene OF
the first major German air raid on
Britain, October is.
New Weapon Indicated.
A suggestion that Britain was
employing a new secret weapon
against German warplanes was con-
tanned in the Sketch today as war
fare at sea continued to be the ma
tion's major pre-occupation.
The newspaper, in a front-page
article, said the secret weapon was
believed to have brought down a
German plane which crashed at sea
yesterday off the Norfolk coast.
mo official announcement can be
expected for some time" it said,
"but there are very good reasons for
the claim being made. Last night
the hint was deliberately dropped in
high official quarters that the Nazi
raider had met its doom through a
weapon of which Britain has never
boasted."
Nature Undisclosed.
Nature of such weapon was not
disclosed, and official sources de-
clined comment. Most papers spec
ulated that the plane crash resulted
from a mechanical failure.
The air ministry announced that
British planes had made success
full fight over Western Germany
"Wednesday night.
DNB, official German news
agency, reported in Berlin that
British planes were driven off by
anti-aircraft fire when they flew
over Schleswig Holstein last
mighty
The Greek steamer Paralos, 1894
tons, was sunk in the Thames Estu-
ary yesterday with three of her
crew klll6U. 1llC "a Sltl N1fOlS WClC
unable to say whether the ship hit
q mine or was torpedoed.
Conduct of War Approved.
The present governments conduct
of the war was approved, 303 to 125,
by the House of Commons last night
in a vote on Labor party criticism
of the organization of manpower
and resources.
The ministry of economic warfare
announced that 5000 tons of coa-
traband intended for Germany had
been detained by the allies since the
war began September 3. For the
week ending Dec. 2, it said, the con-
traband control board had consid-
cred the cargoes of ITO neutral
ships, including six Americans.