British Coast, Aug. 23.
German long range guns from France blasted at the British coast last night while Royal Air Force planes heavily bombed German gun positions on the French coast in an effort to halt the bombardment.
The shelling started shortly after nine o'clock last night (6 a.m. today Shanghai D.LT.) and the German guns were still laying down a barrage at 11 p.m. (8 am. Shanghai D.L.T.).
Apparently most of the shells were shrapnel as they burst in the air. Many of the shells seemed to fall in the water. As far as was ascertainable last night, no damage or casualties were suffered along the British coast up to 11 p.m.
Numerous flares or tracer shells could be seen piercing the sky last night. A great red glow lit up the sky and the water line, illuminating the French coastline.
Heavy anti-aircraft fire was heard as a German plane swooped down on a train in south-west England and machine-gunned it.
Eye-witnesses in London said one raider dropped about 25 bombs.
"I watched a German plane for 20 minutes," one eyewitness told the United Press.
"Tt was caught in searchlight beams and dived to escape. It dropped flares and there was a success sion of explosions as about six bombs fell.
"Searchlights continued to hold the machine which travelled a good distance before dropping about 20 further bombs."
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