Evening star., 1940-11-23
British Report Attack
On German Air Base
Near Bordeaux
London Area Penetrated
In One .of Three
Daylight Assaults
By the Associated Press.

~ NV 49, ''SS
Daylight Assaults
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Nov. 23-British bomb
ers made daylight attacks on Ger
man airdromes In the Netherlands
yesterday, and last night struck
heavily at an airdrome near Bor-
deaux. France, a base for German
air attacks on British shipping, an
Air Ministry communique an
nounced today.
A small formation of German or
Italian bombers penetrated the Lon
don area in one of today's three
daylight raids and dropped bombs
on southern suburb and town
on the Thames Estuary. the Min
istry of Home Security announced
Englands Spitfire defenders, how
ever, took toll of seven Italian
fighters and one German over the
Strait of Dover without any British
loss, it was stated authoritatively.
and a German fighter was shot
down while approaching London.
The Home Security Ministrys
communique said the number of
casualties from the bombardments
was believed to be small.
10 Planes in All Shot Down.
In all, according to the Air Min
istry, 10 invading planes were shot
down by British fighters up to
$50 pm.-three German and seven
Italian.
The raiders renewed their attacks
on London after an intense overnight
hammering of two west Midlands
manufacturing cities in which a
record number of planes appeared
over that workshop" area Of
Britain.
Churches, hospitals, converts and
many dwellings and other buildings
were riddled, British reports said.
and piles of debris Uttered the two
Midlands towns after the severe IL
hour attack.
Among structures shattered was
a police station, hit directly, the
post Office and municipal building.
Casualties Believed Heavy.
Casualties were believed heavy.
Rescue and fire-flghting squads
worked until daybreak quenchine
fires and digging out trapped vic
tins.
This latest in series of attacks
on the Midlands centers began at
pm. and continued without a let
up until 6 am.
Shortly after Q pm. today II
crossed the Channel in bright sun
light and attempted to pierce the
Kent Coast defenses near Dover
Strait.
A curtain of anti-aircraft fire
threw them back The planes then
swung down-Channel, seeking a gap
in the defenses. but the blistering
fire forced them of each time and
they finally passed from view over
the sea.
At the same time flight of in
vading planes crossed another part
III IllC IOdSl. LdlCl otkiLk GIL
craft were reported over the Mid
lands again.
The italian iplar1es and tGer1naf D.
Messerschmitts, which came stimuli
taneously, flew at great heights,
some more than $4,000 feet high.
Sky "Full of Planes"
yxyban the % n aftaotxad eroa,yd
observers said. the sky was full Of
planes" and that the Italians last
we're seen almost over the French
cliffs.
Soon after the Germans were dis
persed London's third daylight alert
was sounded and planes and guns
were heard in one London area
1t was disclosed today that War
Secretary Anthony Eden spent Fri
day touring the vital Midlands in
dustrial region, including bomb
wrecked Coventry, where he in
spected anti-aircraft defenses.
British censors did not per-
nit mention of the names of the
Midlands towns under lombard
ment, but communique of the
German high command re-
ported renewed onslaughts on
Birmingham and Coventry. The
ports of Southampton and Bris-
tol also were listed, with aircraft
factories the chief objectiyes of
dive bombers. German sources
reported that huge fires in Bir-
mingham were visible on the
French coast-nearly 200 miles
away
Two London Raids Brief.
London's first two daylight raids
were of brief duration. The first
raid, during the morning rush hour,
saw Nazi squadron cross several
London districts before being dis
persed by r. A. F. fighter planes.
The second alarm came during
lunch hour. No bomb damage was
reported.
Birmingham members of Parlia-
ment moved to make the strong
est possible representations to
Prime Minister Churchill to give
Midlands defenses immediate and
urgent" consideration.
NaZi long-range guns on the
French coast again shelled the
Dover area.
An all-clear signal shortly after
dawn ended the night-long alert for
London. There was a furry of ac-
tivity soon after dusk last night,
when at least two houses were
smashed by bombs, but comparative
quiet reigned after that.
Isolated Nazi attacks we're carried
out on Merseyside. Liverpool and
some cities on the south coast, but
casualties in these attacks were few.
the communique said.
Dies