The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-28


 set fire to large parts of the Ger. man port of Hamburg early Mon. day.
 BY SIDNEY J. WILLIAMS United Press Stan Correspondent
 London, July 28 8- (UP) = British night fighter planes and a new secret anti-aircraft gun downed at least eight and damaged many more of German vengeance fleet which ranged during the night over Brit ain and Northern Ireland where American troops are based, 1t was announced.
 'The night fighters had field night, in the brilliant light of the full moon," the air ministry said.
 But in the London area at least the new guns played their part in smashing at least eight of an enemy plane fleet estimated to have totaled between 50 and 70.
 How many planes, crippled by night fighters or ground gun fire, failed to reach their bases in Ger inan-occupied territory, nobody could say.
 Tn the greater London area, where scattered fire bombs were dropped without doing serious damage in country areas, the roar of the new secret gun could be distinguished plainly by those who had heard them in practice.
 Some of the guns were manned by home guardsmen, others by mixed batteries, including girls ot the army territorial service.
 It is possible to say now that this gun is the secret one, hailed as a deadly new menace to raldlne {. planes, which tho government plan ned to announce recently.
 All Stories Killed
 Accredited newspaper correspond- ents were permitted to inspect 1t but the day before their stories were to appear, the London Daily Mail angrily denounced the authorl- ties for revealing war secrets and the war office ordered all stories killeG.
 A Joint air ministry home secur- ity ministry communique said:
 s'Enemy action last night was on . somewhat larger scale than for some time past. Fires and damage were caused in the Birmingham area, where there were also a num- Der of casualties. There was some damage elsewhere in the midlands and the eastern counties.
 "The attack was spread over a wide area, including greater London, where very slight damage was done by incendiary bombs.
 Fight enemy aircraft were des- troyed while attacking this country and one was downed over Holland. A number of others were damaged but the destruction can not be con- 1lrmed."
 Sirens walled over northern Ire land, where tens of thousands o1 American troops from all over the United States are awaiting the sec ond front signal, as the German nia11es crossed the coast.
 There was no report that bombs had been dropped or that anti aircraft guns, searchlights or Allied night fighter planes were in action
 Berlin broadcast a special Ger man official nWs agency dispatch during the night that in one attack alone 200 German bombing planes attacked Birmingham, in the vest ern English midlands and said very heavy bombs as well as many in- eendiarieS were dropped.
 It was understood that this Ger man claim was exaggerated. Avia- ton quarters said the eight enemy F,aanes known to have been shot down in all areas of the British Isles represented "heavy percent age" of the total engaged.
 while bad weather kept British long range planes from following UT their si1atterihg raid on Hamburg CerrnAnys greatest port and sub- marine building center, the Ger mans, usually singly, bombed cities towns, villages and resorts as they had done by daylight yesterday.
 All Sirens Sounded
 The air raid sirens sounded 1T the London area shortly before z. m. and the guns of the city seemed with vigor and speed which many veterans of biggest raids saie lad not been matched. All ovel tie city shell splinters spattered or rooftopg and in streets but there were no bombs and the "all clear was sounded before 4:30.
 NO bombs dropped in the Lon. ion area proper but some incen. diaries, including oil bombs, dropped sn fields in the suburbs and in ths home counties which surround tht capital. They did no damage.
 Though ie was believed from the Elret that the raiders which caused flae London alarm were merely or f4ae way to other, less well defended areas, the entire protective corpc turned out including fir watchers WilO manned posts on thousands ot KpoetOps, defying the shrapnel splin- AeFg from their own guns.
 Trains Disabled
 London, July 28-(UP-The RAF Alsabied many German trains in norkhern France during the night, Including two knocked out by an Aniotican member of g fighter squadron. the air ministry said to- &Aya
 The American was pilot officer c. zkehrliof of Jamaica, N. Y., who, the