Evening star., 1940-07-21
Big PIone Bottle
Is Fought OFF
Southeast Coast
8y the Associated Press.


Far-ranging German air bombers
carried on their almost constant at
tacks against England and Wales
early today. Some raiders dumped
clusters of bombs on two English
sectors before they were chased
away.
In Northwest England one person
was killed and number were in
tured by eight bombs reported
dropped by a single plane which
new low over a town. One bomb
was said to have hit a school.
In Southwest England several
enemy planes dropped about a dozen
bombs, damaging shops and cot
tages.
The Nazi raiders penetrated as far
westward as Wales before British
Fighter planes drove them back. No
bombs were reported dropped in
Wales. however.
Great fleets of Junkers bombers
and Messerschmitt fighters swept
across the British coasts all day
yesterday in one of the greatest air
Iofensives of the war. keeping Brit
tsh anti-aircraft batteries and fight
ing planes continually busy.
fisherman Heads Army.
While the German bombs. like
exclamation points to Adolf Hitler's
final appeal" for an xis-dictated
peace, found targets across the
length and breadth of the island
yesterday. Britons insisted they were
looking beyond the defense of this
gun-girt seat of empire to an even
tual British offensive abroad, and
handed command of this kingdoms
greatest army to tough fisherman,
Gen. Sir Alan Brooke.
Pounding steadily by air, evident
ly to soften" Britain for the threat
ened direct onslaught, Nazi bombers
took toll of 1856 civilian lives and
left 476 other persons seriously H.
jured in the month beginning June
18, the Ministry of Home Security
reported. 1t was the first of the
monthly casualty totals which,
alone, are now permitted publica-
ton.
A brief communique said 'the
largest number killed in any locality
on any occasion was &c." News
paper records show total casualties
during the World War as the result
of air raids to be 857 dead, 205s in
1ured.
IL Raiders Brought Down.
British defense planes brought
down IL Of the aerial invaders, the
Air Ministry said, and two German
figter planes were severely dam
aged" attempting to drive of a
British night bombing raid on Ger
many.
The Air Ministry said two British
fighter planes were lost but the pilot
Of one was safe.
Again, it disclosed, British flyers
made their own night forays over
German territory yesterday, strik-
ing at air and naval bases along
the coasts Of Germany and Nazi-
held Holland-potential jumping on
points for invasion of England
and attacking Nazi aircraft fac
tories. oil plants and railroad COM
munications.
Shipping in English southeast
ports attracted the heaviest Nazi
attacks today. Seventeen planes
emptied bomb racks on ships in
one lightning raid, but apparently
missed their mark.
Fierce Half Hour Battle.
In another. the British broke up
. squadron of more than a score of
German dive bombers accompanied
by fighter planes after a fierce
half hour battle.
One German plane was seen to
plunge straight into the sea and
eyewitnesses said they believed at
least three others also were shot
down.
Geysers Of water and smoke rose
from the sea as the Nazi bombers
dived time after time at a group
Of British ships before the British
lighters swept in with a blaze of
machine-gun fire.
This was the biggest action of
the afternoon. Altogether IS enemy
aircraft were engaged-Junkers 81
dive bombers and Messerschmitt 100
fighters.
A series of air fights began in the
(See LONDON page l.11