Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-21

to farm workers and the third
was taken by farmers wife and
her son. IA. who carried his
fathers home guard rifle.
BY tie Associated Press.
LONDON, Aug. 21-Germany' S
air force blanketed England with
scattered solo raids today, striking
its heaviest blows in the southeast
where one coast resort was bombed
twice in the early afternoon.
An authoritative source said re-
ports at 5 pm today from various
raids on Britain indicated that at
least eight enemy planes had been
brought down today.
Three Nazi bomberS were shot
down by British fighters, and a
fourth was believed to have plunged
into the English Channel.
Almost constant patrols of Spitflres
and Hurricanes were kept in the all
as reports indicated change in
German tactics from mass raids to
scattered "sneak-in' attacks by in
dividual bombers.
Late today a lone raider attacked
q town in the southwest and dropped
a bomb which destroyed house,
causing three casualties, including
one fatality.
In a dog fight over the town the
Junkers SO was brought down by a
British fighter. The bomber crew
of five was killed.
Raids Heaviest in Southeast.
The heaviest of the attacks
which the British said were modelled
on hit and run" tactics. was con-
centrated on the southeast coast,
but numbers of single raiders also
were reported over the midlands,
the Welsh coastal areas and North
east England.
The greatest damage was reported
from the industrial midlands, where
several bombs hit a thickly popu-
lated residential and shopping area
killing one woman and injuring sew
eral others.
In other sections German bomberS
did little damage, first reports in
dictated.
Masses Held Perfect Targets.
British experts pointed out the
Germans might have decided on a
change of tactics to avoid heavy
losses suffered during massed raids
with large formations of planes.
The British admitted it was diff
flcult to get the individual German
hnforn tInu hoH IrnnnoI
their bombs. They said masses OF
planes flying in close formation
made perfect" targets for both
anti-aircraft guns and fighter
planes.
Single dive bombers able to sneak
in behind the clouds and come
screaming down stood almost as
good a chance of hitting military
detectives, some observers pointed
out, as large formations, harrleo
from the moment they crossed the
coast.
The growing radius of British
bombing attacks on Germany and
German-occupied territory, coupled
with diminishing NaZi aerial activ-
ity, was hailed in London as an in
dication that the initiative had been
taken away from the German all
force by R. A. F. victories over
massed attacking methods.
There was virtually no German air
activity over England between mid
night and dawn.
South Wales Bombed.
Five bombs were dropped on South
Wales towns this morning. The
damage and the number of casual
ties were not learned Several planes
took part in the raid.
Children were among the dead and
injured in a Midlands raid Rescue
SQUADS searched the Wreckage of
four houses, almost completely de-
stroyed, for further victims. Half a
dozen other buildings were damaged.
Some children playing in public
park ran for an AFRAID shelter at
the gates when the alarm sounded.
Waiting under cover, they made so
much noise with their singing that
they failed to hear the all-clear sig
nal when the raid was over.
A single plane flew over one SOUTH
east coast town and dropped II
bombs in a line along the edge of
the sea, doing no damage. The
raider headed for home with British
fighters in pursuit.
Another southeast coast town was
visited by lone raider, but without
incident.
One German bomber was reported
to have fallen flaming into the sea
off the southeast coast after a hit
and-run attack.
Another lone raider crossed the
northeast coast of England at great
altitude, sWooped down and dropped
several bombs. Then it sped out tc
sea amid bursts of anti-aircraft fire.
Minor damage and no casualties
were reported. A 70-year-old woman
was killed in raid on midland
town.
Two planes came over the south
east coast, flying just above low
clouds. One dropped four bombs.
apparently without damage, and then
raced back toward its base with a
6pitfire in pursuit.
The other bomber waited a lew