The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-13
Every Corner OF England
Reported Bombed By
Waves OF Nazi Planes
LOSSES ARE HEAVY
Invaders Seek To Damage
Harbors To Weaken Con.
troll OF The Channel

R-Adolf Hitler's long-threatened
aerial blitzkrieg on Britain burst
into a full-throated roar of destruc-
ton today as Nazi warplanes
struck at every corner OF England.
They thus carried into the third
consecutive day a %ferocious as
sault which began with flights OF
40 DOR more planes, leaped to 500
or more yesterday, and reached
undisclosed numbers this morning.
There were indications that the
onslaught may now be backed by
cannon ref from the continent and
possibly aided by Italian airmen.
Same Pattern
The pattern of attack remained
UNMARRIED, as it has since extensive
raids first began June 10, but the
scope was tremendous.
From northeast, northwest,
southeast, southwest-from every
direction-came reports of explod-
ing bombs. Reports of damage
were confined to civilian struc-
lures as the Nazi novelty
scream" bombs hurtled down.
British gfhters, anti-aircraft
gunners and searchlight e S
teamed up to make the sky a
deadly jungle for the invaders.
The raids this morning and last
night followed up those Of IN e
waves of notwithstanding bomb
r which dropped tons of explo-
sives Monday on Britain's great
naval bases at Portsmouth, South
hampton and Dover.
Seventh or more German planes
continued to hammer against the
English coastline between Dover
and Portsmouth until late t
night after the British asserted
their defense forces had sent at
least 80 to destruction in the Mon
day conflict. Nine British planes
were missing.
Gunfire Suspected
At one southeast coast town,
houses were damaged by explos-
ions which at first were attributed
to bombs but later were believed
to have ben due to gunfire.
Supporting the belief that the
Germans at last have unlimbered
heir coastal cannon against Eng
land was the fragmentary nature
of this report, which got through
from London only after 10 hours
and which said British authorities
were ''investigating.'D
Hector Bywater, naval expert of
the London News Chronicle, de-
voted his article today to Gums
that they could be effective only if
aided by aerial "spotters."
THE Germans may and GER
tainly have mounted long : range
guns between Calais and Bou-
logne," he wrote, but they will
be simply shooting into the blue
unless they have effective spoilers
aloft; and we may be confident
these spoilers will have a rough
ime from the RAF."
There were strong rumors that
Italy, Germany's ally, at last was
participating in the raids on Brit
ain. Authoritative circles in Lon
don disclosed that ah Italian was
among the crew of a G. r m n
bomber captured Sunday, but dis
counted the likelihood of Italian
planes being used. Even if this
were the case, it was said, con-
flrmation would be unlikely for
some time. /
Planes Downed
The British announced that ma
val guns brought down five Ger
man planes Sunday, raising the Of
fetal total for that day to IS and
the unofficial count to IA. (The
said Sunday-Monday to-
tails wer 1854 British and 46 Ger
man planes lost.)
The list of Germans destroyed
may go even higher for MondaJ,
the British said as the developing
battle between the worlds largest
air forces was believed here to be
a decisive phase of the war.
Germany's detectives appeared
to be three-fold F.:
To damage naval harbors and
shore establishments in an effort
to challenbe Britain's sea control
of the English chnnel
To weaken Britain's aerial de-
lenses by damaging airdromes, de-
stroying balloon barrages. silenc.