Evening star., 1940-12-12
German Air Raiders
Make Two Attacks
On London Defenses
Birmingham and Nearby
MidIunds Area Pounded
By Planes During Night
Nv the Associated Press.

Yy the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 12.-German air
raiders stabbed twice at London
today without penetrating the cap
ital's defenseS after pounding the
industrial Birmingham area and
surrounding Midlands towns during
the night with incendiary and ex-
plosive bombs.
London was under AFRAID alarm
overnight for IA hours.
Only one bomb was dropped on the
London area in the days raids. A
German plane flying at great height
unleashed the explosive harmlessly
in an open field as it was driven off
by Hurricane fighters.
Among buildings hit in the Bir-
mingham area were churches, II
schools, 2 movie theaters, private
homes and public shelters, accord
Ing to British reports (Which sell
dom tell of military objectives hit
by raiders.
Considering the scale of the Mid
lands attacks, the casualties were
not believed to have been heavy.
High explosives and incendiaries
we're dropped by the Royal Air
Force on power station at Mann
helm, Germany, main objective"
of last nights raids, the Air Minis
try news service said today.
Fires broke out and were still rag
Ing when the last R. A. F. planes
turned homeWard, the service said.
The inland port of Mannheim, an
important industrial town on the
Rhine, was also bombed, as we'll as
the railway and sidings on the river.
There were several fires which
eventually caused heavy explosions.
Docks at Calais, Boulogne and
Etaples were badly knocked about"
during the night, the service added.
The R. A. F. also attacked Ger
man airdromes in occupied territory,
the Air Ministry said, losing one
plane in the assault.
Many Fires Started.
r Following the usual pattern, the
first night raiders dropped incen-
diaries, which guided the second
waves with it's explosives. Many
fires were started, but with the
strenuous work of fire fighters they
were quickly extinguished or brought
unoer control. the British said.
The anti-aircraft barrage IN the
Birmingham area was heavier than
ever before there since the start
of the air siege. There were numer-
ous cases of residents pulled from
under debris by rescue crews.
Two formations of axis warplanes
attempted to penetrate to London
by way of the Thames Estuary, but
they we're reported turned back
after a short battle with British
fighters.
The Air Ministry disclosed the
frst case of a victory scored by
British fighting plane newly
equipped with cannon. The r. A. F.
pilot reported he shelled Messer-
schimtt 100 and saw it explode into
bits like a bursting anti-aircraft
shell"
There was a quick f1ash-a cloud
Of black smoke-and bits were fly
Ing through the air" he said. The
stuff was simply dripping out Of
the sky"
-Four Craft Claimed.
-Four enemy aircraft" were re-
ported by the Ministry of Informa-
ton to have been destroyed today
In the Birmingham assault, some
casualties were suffered when an
auxiliary fire service station was hit
and the staff of an air raids pre-
cautions depot was buried under the
debris resulting from direct bomb
hit. All were rescued alive.
A war reserve policeman was killed
In another section. In another Mid
lands town a husband, wife and son
were all killed when a bomb struck
their home.
The German daylight thrusts at
London were short-lived.
Thames side batteries blasted at
the first formation, which flew too
high to be seen by ordinary observ-
ers. The volume of the engine
drone, however, indicated that II
was large.
The second formation was heard
flying up the estuary few minutes
later. Then followed the noise OF
two separate air battles. They lasted
only q short time and the raiders
were repulsed.
While lone Messerschmitt made
o hit-and-run attack this morning
On a southeast coast town, machine
cunning and dropping one bomb
which missed and fell into the sea
a number of other raiders crossed
the coast at great height.
Two MesseTschmitt 109 fighters
machine-gunned shopping centers of
q southeast coast town this after
noon.
The raiders dived in from the sea
and skinned rooftops. They fired
six bursts eacn, which broke a few
windows and shattered roof states
Many pedestrians had narrow
escapes, but none was hurt,