The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-15

IufCo Of llThgef planes.
FOR Is hours from nearly evening
70 about noon today there was only
desultory German flying over the
bomb-spattered British Isles. But
about noon large-scale attacks began
again.
BIames Bad Weather
But Berlin, blaming bad weather,
admitting that the pace had slack
ened. Along the often-raided Eng
lish channel coast, however, obServ-
ers thought they saw possible signs
of another reason for the slacken-
ing.
Across the narrow waters Of the
channel could be seen the heavy
glare of fierce fires which appeared
to be burning some distance back
from the French coast in the area
studded with German short-range
bombing bases.
The fires seeming to be burning
between Calais and Lehavre along
that part of France which is closest
to Britain and directly opposite the
part of Britain which has felt the
full fury of German air attack.
It was presumed that they were
started by blasting attack carried
out by Raj bombers on the Ger
man air bases. .
The days first heavy attack on
Britain was launched after noon by
five waves of heavy bombers.
Ground observers on the sutheast
coast could not see the squadrons
because Of overcast skies. But they
judged from the sound of the motors
that some $50 planes participated.
The bomber attack was preceded
by a sortie of German fighter planes
which attempted to distract British
defense planes and draw them away
to another part Of the coast. The
British defenders were not fooled by
the German tactic, and stayed in
position to pounce on the bomberS
when they came over.
Six Shot Down.
Unofficial totals indicated that
about half a dozen German planes
had been shot down in the early
stages Of the days air action.
Shortly after the first mass raid
Of the day-apparently over Dover
German planes were reported over
an inland southeast city and a lit
tie later numbers Of German planes
were spotted over Northeast Britain.
In Berlin Spokesman took a new
tone in describing the German OPP
erations. Whereas for several days
they had warned darkly that the
attack on Britain was nearly its
final phase they said today that "it
makes little difference whether we
finish the job day or a week
sooner or later"
It was said in the German capt.
tai that there was no point in send
ing large numbers Of German planes
out when the weather conditions
were poor for bombing operations.
The score of yesterdays fighting
was sharply lower than in the three
days from Sunday through Tues
day.
The British claimed a bag of 81
German planes yesterday and said
seven British fighters were lost. The
Germans claimed they destroyed %
British planes and lost IL.
What NaziS Claim.
The German high command
claimed that harbors at Cardiff,
Weston and Portland, arms factories
at Worcester and Salisbury and an
electrical works between Brighton
and Lewes were bombed yesterday.
German quarters continued to in
siSt that small suicide" squads OF
parachutiSts had been landed in
Britain to carry out acts OF sabot-
age.
However, after a most thorough
search British authorities were I'M
able to discover any parachutists al
though about 60 opened parachutes
were found strewn in the country
from the Midlands to Scotland.
Farmers went to work today with
rifles at their side in case para
chutists suddenly should appear.
London authorities reported that
258 persons had been killed in
bomb attacks during July. This
compared with 554 traffic deaths OF
which 155 were attributed to the
blackout-
The loss of the armed merchant
cruiser Pennsylvania, 1913 tons
well known vessel which in pre-war
days piled between New York and
Glasgow, was announced.
The Pennsylvania was sunk by a
torpedo with a loss Of 80 men. There
were $50 survivors.
Fight At Sea
Gothenburg reported for the first
time in weeks that heavy firing had
been heard at sea from the direc.
ton Of the Skagerrak. There was
no indication as to the cause but
Swedish residents reported thai
there had been unusually heavy sea
tradic from Germany to Norway
and back in recent days. Norway
has frequently been suggested as 9
likely base for the invasion Of Bri'
tain when and If Germany at.