Evening star., 1940-08-14
11AirmenCought;
Murky Skies Aid
AII-Doy Assault
Ey the Associated Press.

-hr'cNA"SN
LONDON, Aug. 14-Eleven Ger
man airmen were reported captured
in Britain's bomb blasted Midlands
today after they had left tell-tale
parachutes behind them.
Seventeen parachutes bearing
German markings were found in
Midland villages, as the Ministry
of Home Security appealed to the
public to report urgently any infor-
nation they may have about para
chute troops landing in England.
The MIdlands, England's great in
dustrial center, was subjected to the
longest and SevereSt bombing of the
war. Several persons were killed
when bombs hit three buildings.
A number of residences were hi.
by high-eXplosive bombs, but no
casualties were suffered there.
The German planes came over in
great waves. Anti-aircraft guns
hammered away at them as search
lights picked them out in the dark
skies
The raiders flew extremely high
and apparently were bombing by
gueSsWork.
Wide Search Continued.
Seven of the Nazi airmen we're
captured in one group, four in
another.
Police and hdme guards stopped
all traffic in the area where the
'chuteS were found.
Finding of the 'chutes intensified
a day-long search.
In aviation circles it was said that
the parachutes were not the type
used by German parachute troops in
Holland, Belgium and France.
300 Planes Raid Coast.
Armadas of diving and fighting
German planes, 300 of them swarm
ing over the southeast coast alone,
renewed the relentless prelude to
invasion of England in murky skies,
as Britain struck back at the axis
powers in engagements from the
North Sea to Africa.
Fleet bombardmentS of Italian
troops in far-off Samaliland, bomb
ing of industrial cities in Italy and
a battle in the North Sea were evi-
dence of her efforts to take the in
itiative of war afield even while on
defense at home
Authorities sought to round up
the users of German parachutes-
apparently those of regular Nazi
pilots whose planes were shot down
found in the heart of the indus
trial midlands.
Masses of German planes dived
with an ear-splitting roar on balloon
barrages and were engaged by
twisting. diving British fighters and
a terrific drumfre of anti-aircraft
batteries.
One furious Commute battle
ended about noon after a great wave
of 80 bombers, protected by a canopy
of fast pursuit planes, lost them
selves behind banks of clouds long
enough to get inland, where they
dropped bombs.
Many of the explosives were de-
clared to have fallen harmlessly on
farmland
Balloon Shot Down.
At least one barrage balloon was
shot down in ball of fire on the
southeast coast, and several were
ripped away and sent crashing on
the south coast.
The "Dolf Floppies" had been re-
placed after yesterdays onslaught.
At least 10 German planes were
unofficially reported downed in the
various battles, bringing to 275 the
German losses since Germany
launched her major attacks last
Thursday.
The Air Ministry said 140 German
planes were probably destroyed"
and damaged" in the air battles OF
Monday and Tuesday, the second
and third big days of the German
air offensive, in addition to the 140
previously reported definitely de-
stroyed"
The ministry said great activity
was causing it to discard previous
restrictions that corroboration from
at least two pilots must be obtained
before an enemy plane is counted as
shot down. The word of one pilot
is now accepted as proof.
Some damage was reported from
today's early morning raids on the
Midlands.
In one district a large building
was struck, causing a number of
casualties; houses were damaged and
a road was blocked by a burst gas
main. Incendiary bombs were
dropped in several areas.
The night session of Germany's
aerial blitzkrieg also brought at
tacks on Wales, Southeast England,
Northeast Scotland and scattered
points in the southwest of England,
but the government said the activity
"was confined to small number of
aircraft"
One Factory Hit.
"One factory was hit" said COM
munique this morning, "and a con-
siderable number of houses suffered
minor damage in different parts of
(See LONDON, Page A-2)