Evening star., 1940-01-12
London
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coast when British planes swooped
toward it.
Of the east coast a big Dornier
flying pencil" which was believed
to be minelayer, was observed fly
ing low over the sea. The craft was
driven off py three British fighters.
Germanys aerial inspection of
almost the whole British east coast
was regarded by air force strate-
gists as threat of more destructive
visits to come.
In a series of raids at six points
from Southeast Scotland to the
English Channel yesterday - the
most widespread of the war so far
German flyers attacked only mer-
chant ships and trawlerS. They
made no attempt to bomb land OBJ
jectives.
Air experts concluded that the
primary object was to photograph
the seaboard as a guide for future
waves of bombers, perhaps as prep
/ al VAOAA AOA AACCllS1NC Ad&lS Oll Ia lClSll
docks and shipyards.
To- strengthen coast defenses,
British authorities considered send
ing aloft more balloon barrages
from barges near the shore, sharp
ening anti-air raid vigilance at Ger
tain coast points and increasing the
number of anti-aircraft guns along
the shore.
Britain Plans Blow for Blow.
Britain apparently was preparing
also to deal blow for blow in any
intensified warfare.
The air ministry disclosed that
new superhghting planes. a long
range type "of very high speed, "
were in production. 1t said the time
had not yet come to use them, but
when it does, there may be some
surprises-especially in the numbers
which are likely to be used"
In the just-published 1910 edition
OF James All the Worlds Aircraft
c. G. Grey, foremost British air.
craft authority. reported work
might and day turning out a
new and secret" type of war plane.
Mr.. Grey declared that British
airplane engines are unsurpassed by
those of any other nation, a con-
clusion, he said, which seemed to
have been confirmed since the dec.
laration of war;"
The air ministry was believed in
some quarters to refer to the new
Defiant, single-motor fighting
plane said to be faster than either
Of the Royal Air Forces leading
pursuit types. the Spitfire and Hur-
ricane.
The supermarine Spitflre, capable
of almost 400 miles an hour, is
Britain's fastest plane now, and
some British authorities have called
4 it the worlds fastest. The exact
potentialities of the single-motor
single-seater, low-wing fighter are
secret, however.
Range Less Than Nazi Type.
The range of the new Defiant is
less than the 825-mile range of the
German Messerschmitt, which can
but has not-convoy bombers
on raids of Britain. British flyers
are eager to see what would happen
if Messerschmitt battled a Spit
fire, Hurricane or Defiant.
Britain has two models capable of
conveying her slower bombers on
raids over Germany. They are the
Blenheim and Beaufort, both twin
motored light bombers that can be
used as long-range fighters. The
Blenheim's range is 1000 miles and
the Beaufort's slightly more.
A new policy by the German Navy
in attempting to cut off Britain's
vital overseas trade was believed in
dicated by the sinking yesterday OF
the 7,267-ton British tanker Ell Csc
in the Irish Sea, the first officially
recorded sinking by a mine off the
west coast
Three men were believed drowned
and eight others were seriously in
jured in the crew of 80 aboard the
tanker, which was in convoy after
six-week voyage from South
America with a cargo of fuel.