NOISY RAID ON LONDON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 47, 5 December 1940, Page 5

NOISY RAID ON LONDON.

PLANES FLY FAIRLY LOW.

.SAVAGERY AT BRISTOL.

LONDON, December 4

London and the Midlands bore the brunt of the German Air Force’s attack on England last night. Bombers were also over the country between these points and the coast. * A communique issued by the Air Ministry says thg attacks were not on a large scale and the number of persons killed and injured is not expected to be great. In the Midlands a number of fires broke out, but they were quickly brought under control. The raid on one town in the Midlands jbegan soon after dark. The raid on London was the noisiest since November 29. Londoners who have gradually inclined to the belief that the battle over London was ended for the present were startled early by air raid warnings, followed by heavy fire from the ground and the incessant sound of aeroplanes flying fairly low. Bombs were dropped in several areas. Activity during the daylight hours was slight. Bristol was subjected to savage and indiscriminate bombing last week, and when Monday night’s bombing took place the German newspapers were still gloating over the damage caused in the. earlier attack and declaring that the German Air Force left Bristol a “city in ruins.” In countries which have access to independent opportunities of assessing the damage in recent raids there will bo the usual disinclination to accept the German claims at their face value, particularly hv those who recall that, in justifying tho attack on Buckingham Palace, the Germans declared the palace to he a legitimate military target because of non-existent oil tanks nearby, and “harbour installations,” of which it is innocent, were said to justify an attack some months ago on Bognor Regis. Bexhill has also been presented with a harbour by the German radio.

Apart from members of the fire services, 41 members of rescue parties have been killed and 510 injured in the London region. The Official German News Agency stated that the Luftwaffe carried out 23 large-scale attacks on England last month. More than 5,000,000 explosive bombs were dropped. The weight of bombs each night ranged between 100 tons and 600 tons.