Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-13

Nazis and Italians Fail
In 7 Of ; Attempts
To Bomb London
Mossed Squodrons
OF British and Germans
Fight Running Bottle
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, Nov. 13.-German and
Italian planes failed in two at
tempts to bomb London today, but
broke through the defenses of the
capitals outskirts on the third try.
Other axis planes moved with great
er success against towns in Wales
and the Midlands.
Rooftop watchers in the center
of the city heard gunfire and ex-
ploding bombs during the third
warning, but the all clear was soon
sounded, indicating the raiders had
been driven off again.
Four of the axis bombers were shot
down in widespread air fighting, the
Ministries of Home Security and
Air announced. One of the planes
was Italian, British said 1t burst
into flames over Sussex and its
cargo of bombs exploded in air.
Raids were attempted in several
parts of the country, most of them
in Southeast England, and MANY
bombs were dropped, but the two
ministries said scarcely any dam
age" was done.
Massed squadrons of British Hur-
ricane and German Messerschmitt
planes fought running battle along
the coast after the Nazi raiders had
bombed a southeast coast town
Sirens were wailing in the capital
even as rescue workers doggedly
burrowed into the debris of build
ings, including a crowded theater
nit during the series of long raids
last night. The dead and wounded
were uncounted.
Kings Church Damaged.
The government today permitted
publication of the fact that the
Church of St Martin s-in-the- Fields
the Kings parish church off Ira
falgar Square-had been damaged
in recent raid. The Royal College
of Surgeons and the Swedish Church
at Rotherhithe also were hit.
St. Martin Sim the-FieldS was
erected in the early 18th century
on the site of an earlier structure
The register of the old church, still
preserved, contains an entry on the
baptism of Francis Bacon. Mel
Gwynne, mistress of King Charles
II, and Farquhar, the restoration
comedy writer, are buried there
All royal children are registered
in the church at birth.
The raiders which attacked the
southeast coast town dived in single
file, each dropping single bomb
The Hurricanes intercepted the last
group.
Observers along the coast could
see planes climbing and diving al
the way out to d-Channel as the
Germans sent over reinforcements
Long bursts of machine-gun fire
filled the air. At times the planes
barely skinned the cliff tops.
Hundreds" of raiders were re-
ported by observers on the southeast
coast to be heading toward Londor
. only a few hours after the all-cleal
signal had sounded the end of ar
all-night alarm.
Sirens screamed the first day
light alarm in the London area II
midmorning.
Theater Victims Uncertain.
British fighters went up to engage
the Germans, and the all-cleal
sounded in the capital shortly be.
fore noon. One of the raiders wa!
reported downed in dogfght ovel
the southeast coast.
The number of casualties result.
ing from the London theater bomb
ing remained uncertain as rescue
workers dug in the wreckage ir
search of dead and injured
At least two other London mo-
ton picture theaters were damaged
by bombs during the night, but the
results were not serious
A subway station and an air raid
shelter were among the other places
in the capital struck by bombs. The
hit on the subway tied up service
temporarily. and buses were placed
in operation to shuttle passengers
around the damaged section.
The bright moonlight which aided
the German raiders in their night
attacks on England also proved a
70 Dot-o1 ir E0ran io1,
informed sources said, had bombed
detectives in Germany and German
occupied territory again.
Liverpool Docks Target.
The Nazi night attacks, which
the government said were ION a
fairly heavy scale" were concen-
trated on London and the industrial
Midlands, but bombs also fell in
isolated areas elsewhere.
The Liverpool dock area along the
Mersey River was one of the targets
of the raiders.
The Ministries Of Air and Home
Security said damage was wide
spread, but not severe in view OF
the scale of the assaults. and that
casualties were few outside London
About a thousand Londoners sit
ting in one movie narrowly escaped
death when a bomb plunged through
the roof of the orchestra pit, ex-
ploding below the floor level.
Three trolley bus passengers were
killed and eight injured when q
bomb exploded in a street.