Evening star., 1944-06-20
|Antiaircrait Gunners
And Fighters Down
Dozens Of Robots
NV the Associated Press

DOZENS OF k0DOfS
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON June 20-Antiaircraft
gunners and relays of fighter pilotS
blasted dozens of Nazi robot planes
out of the sky overnight and the
Allies appeared to be getting the
range on this new weapon today.
In one district alone, four flying
bombs were shot down by night
fighters within few minutes. Three
exploded in the air in quick success
sion.
The Germans were launching the
robots in no particular order. Some
times as many as five came over al
most together.
In daylight today the Germans
kept winging the one-ton bombs
into England at sporadic intervals.
The British Air Ministry announced
that new and secret measures were
being taken to wipe out the cross
Channel attacks.
Many Robot Bases Destroyed.
AS American heavy bombers struck
twice yesterday at the rocket en-
placements around Pas-de-Calais
the Air Ministry made known that
six months of constant attacks had
blasted out so many Of the launch
ing platforms that the pilotless
bombs finally were put into opera
ton on less than one-fourth the
scale Hitler originally planned.
AS Allied preventive measures got
into full swing, antiaircraft gunners
reported 1t was somewhat different
firing at the rocket bombs than at
regular planes. Sergt. Tom Pinck-
|ney, British veteran in charge of
one gun crew, said they are faster
moving targets than he had been
used to, but we are getting their
measure and they are not bothering
us much"
The Germans said during the
night that their raiders were over
parts of Eastern Scotland. indicat-
ing the Nazis were sending some
ordinary planes against Britain as
well as the robots.
The Air Ministry said only that
damage and casualties had been
reported" in Southern England.
There were indications of in
creasing uneasiness among Nazi
|propagandists that the German
population was due for a tremen-
dous letdown.
In extolling the new weapon and
giving elaborate reports of panic in
London, German broadcasts voiced
frequent cautions against expecting
too much.
Dispatches from some neutral
countries reported many Germans
now believe Germany will win In
Western Europe within the next few
weeks and they are again singing
the I'VE Are Sailing Against Eng
land song.
please don't believe in miracles"
warned Berlin radio political
spokesman, DR.. Scharping. Hard
trials are still ahead"
A German military commentator
in q broadcast to troops said:
I'VE are only too aware that an
opponent with such extensive and
up-to-date range of technical equip
ment as Britain will not leave the
least stone unturned in an endeavor
to find countermeasures against the
new German weapon. Now a dra-
matte contest between the new Ger
man weapon and new British coun-
| terWeapOns has heoI,n
Visible for Is Miles at Night.
Gunners on the Channel coast
pointed out the winged comets do
not have the Advantage of ordinary
night sneak raiders, as the rocket
flames light up the bombs and they
can be seen sometimes is miles out
at sea. Gunners open up on them
when they are still over the water.
Fighters usually deal with them
farther inland.
The rockets also have the British
balloon barrage in their path. One
ran into a balloon during the night
and exploded with terrific blast in
a field, damaging nearby houses.
Gunners said the Germans seemed
to be using many different types of
the pilotless planes, because I'VE
watch all shapes and sizes coming
over"
1t was estimated that the smaller
types were capable of a speed of
200 and 230 miles per hour. while
the larger robots travelled at per-
haps 400 miles per hour. Air, Min
istry officials described as ridicu-
lous, however, reports that some of
the rocket bombs travelled at 600
miles per hour.
AS the Allied air drive against the
continent and in support of the
Normandy beachhead went on, 1t.
Gen. Lewis H. Brereton announced
the United States 9th Air Force
Thunderbolt fighter -bombers now
are based permanently in France,
the first air force units to be estab-
lished on French soil
These PAT units are under Mai.
Gen. Elwood r. Quesada of Wash
ington, who established headquar-
ters in Normandy last week. Other
units will move into France as land
ing strips are finished.