The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-27

raided the naval base at Plymouth, an airdrome in Cornwall, aircraft factories at Coventry and Birming- ham and the ports of Hull and New castle.
 Fires, Explosions
 "After the dropping of numerous bombs fires and explosions occurred at many points, particularly Hull and Plymouth" the high command said.
 Three merchant vessels sailing in convoy north of FFascerburgh re- ceived several heavy bomb hits, the high command claimed, and 1t added that during hostilities several air battles occurred which were success full for the German airmen." According to the high comamnd, ''the mine laying of British harbors from the air continued" It admitted that during the night of August 26-27 British planes dropped bombs at several points in Reich territory. The material dam age caused Is unimportant. Two civilians were killed and eight in- jured."
 The high command claimed that yesterday the British lost 70 air. planes, including 61 shot down in air battles and nine destroyed on the ground. It was admitted that 21 German planes were missing. Of British attacks on Berlin DNB said that one British plane succeed ed in flying over the Metropolitan area at a great height but dropped no bombs. Other planes were said to have been repulsed in the vicinity of Brandenburg, 38 miles west of Berlin.
 Berlin's second alarm period in two nights lasted from 12:42 a. m. to 1:18 a. m., 36 minutes. Berliners seemed to have expected a revisitation of the British planes which had caused Monday mornings s alarm. Many of them did not go to air raid shelters, in view of new reg ulations which make it unnecessary to go to shelter until airplanes are heard or anti-aircraft guns go into action.
 No planes were seen and there was no anti-aircraft gun fire during the alarm period, though searchlights played.
 Authorized informants said that apparently British planes approach ed the Berlin district but turned off. Preliminary reports, they said, showed mo British plane activity as far away as Potsdam, 16 miles from the center of the city.
 Nazi quarters said that "A British planes had been destroyed yester- day, including seven aground. and that 18 German planes were missing.
 German informants admitted that German airplane attacks on Great Britain had not broken either Brit iSh defenseS or British war indus tries. They said, however. that a combination of unremitting attacks and a sea blockade were proving "a drain on limited British resources destined to make itself felt more keenly as unrelaxed pressure con- tinues."
 Informants said that unreasonable weather continued and for the mo- ment was a determining factor. but they expressed hope that a slight current improvement would contin- ue and that soon clear skies would provide the basis for mas attack. It was asserted that delay would not affect the outcome of the war in the slightest.
 Bad Condition In France Vichy, France, Aug. 27-(UP) = Approximately 600000 Alsatian ref ugees and 100000 denobilized sol- diers housed in barns, schools, hos pitals an dtown halls in central France wondered today how they could get back to their rich. farm lands and busy cities in Alsace.
 Evacuated from their frontier pro- vinceS to the Limoges and Berigueux regions when hostilities began, this refugee mass, which constitutes 50 per cent of Alsace's peacetime popu- lation, is only part of the millions herded into the relatively small area controlled by the Vichy government
 The mass migration of Alsatians was so complete in some areas that local municipal officers and the pre- dominating Catholic clergy and hier- archy followed them
 The refugees are living on rations handed out by the authorities and volunteer American relief workers who man hospitals, maturity clinics and nursries in Angouleme and Peri | gueux.
 The French admit the majority of the exiles desire to return to their native soil, but plans are being drawn up to house those who elect to remain in France on the thous- ands of abandoned farms in this country which are said to comprise more than 100000 acres.