Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-02
U. 5. Photographers
Risk Lives 10 Shoot
Bomb Raid Pictures
One Films Nozi Airmun
Flying Through Balloon
AbIoze Over Dover
BY VINCENT SHEEAN.

BY VINCENT SHEEAN.
LONDON, Sept. 2 NANA).-
Dover'S shooting ARRAYS, both Sat.
urday and yesterday, have pro-
vided one of the most curious cpl
sodes in this war. Saturday morn
ing and evening and again yester-
day morning German fighters made
determined attacks on the balloon
barrage over Dover, flying low
through a storm of anti-sircraft and
Lewis gun Smelling as well as rife
and even revolver fire.
The evening attack was less sue
cessful there 13 words were deletedD =,
but the results are startling enough
anyhow.
The frightful risks involved In
such low flying over a strongly
armed place made most people in
Dover Saturday think that this
quick, stormy raid would be followed
Immediately by dive bombing. Such
was not the case. Balloons shot
down were restored in record time.
to sustain another attack, and were
restored again for yesterday morn
ing's onslaught.
So far as I have been able to
guess, these balloon busting" raids.
which exhibit a fanatical courage
in one of its extremist forms, are
done simply out of bravado. All
these shootings, Of course. have
caused rain of shrapnel and bull
lets to fall on streets and houses
in Dover. One Messerschmitt can
non shell broke in front Of the win
dow of my hotel and anti-aircraft
shrapnel rained on its roof.
Photographers Risk Lives.
During all this activity no bombs
fell on the Dover area and there
were no civilian casualties to my
knowledge. News reel and press
photographers, taking pictures d.
rectly beneath the balloons, are
probably the most exposed civilians
in the place.
An English photographer, Philip
Parker of Fox Movietone, felt
Messerschmitt machine gun incen-
diary bullet crack on his tin hat
Arthur Menken of March of Time
ground out one picture Of an at
lacking and escaping Messerschmitt
right through a blazing balloon
which, for some anxious moments,
seemed likely to descend on his
head.
AS soon as an attack is over most,
or at least many, of the Inhabitants
of Dover rush to collect souvenirs
from the streets-shrapnel of all
sizes and shapes, machine-gun bull
let's, both German and English.
and In general any scrap of metal
that falls from the skies.
My hotel has a neat little collec-
ton of such mementoes from its
entrance hall steps and roof.
Girls in the hotel ONCE continue
their bookkeeping through these
shooting ARRAYS just as they did q
month or so ago during the dive
bombing at sea.
Yesterday afternoon I drove from
Dover to London by way OF the
Southeast coast and the Thames
Estuary. All this part of England
Is . fayorite approach for German
bombers and fighters and has been
the scene of many air battles and
some bombings.
Beach Towns Deserted.
Ramsgate remains the worst case
of bombing civilian town. It's pitt
full, ruined houses are roped of from
traffic and their inhabitants live in
deep shelters. The greater part of
the town, of course, is intact and the
work Of helping the homeless is
carried on by local authorities.
The great road from all those
Southeastern summer resorts and
golf clubs used to be packed with
traffic. There was none at all yes
terday, except an occasional mill
tary car. Most of those towns, which
were always pleasure places, are
practically deserted now and their
beaches bristle, with defense against
the enemy from overseas. The
Thames Estuary, including naval
bases, shows no sign of bombing
raids-although there have been q
good many in that general region
as you drive through. In fact, I'M
less you ask for directions in a
bombed place you will never find
the damage.
Industry in that region seemed
to be going ahead full tilt even on
Sunday evening. We drove in
through London which also shows
no sign of its recent experiences.
This metropolitan area is so vast
that occasional haphazard bombing
causes damage which is as hard to
find as a needle in a hay stack.
We hear that America is receiv-
ing very exaggerated reports of the
damage and alarm caused by raids
here. I have seen little damage and
no alarm. There were aid-raid
warnings practically everywhere I
went yesterday. all around the coast
to London, but I never saw any,
body running in the streets or other
wise showing signs of agitation.
This was true even in unfortunate
Ramsgate, where sirens sounded as
we arrived.
The fact is most people know ex-
actly what to do now and do it as
calmly as they do most of their
acts of life. Even if Germany great
ly increases the strength of her air
attacks, disregarding her losses, it
will still be impossible to crack"
the English people.