SCATTERED RAIDS BY ENEMY BOMBERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXXI, 14 September 1940, Page 9

SCATTERED RAIDS BY ENEMY BOMBERS.

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First Fires In Northern

Ireland.

British official Wireles*. (Reed. noon.) BUGB\, Sept. 13. A. survey of last night's and to•isy 1 # enemy raids on Britain is contained in an Air Ministry communique issued at 9 p.m., which states that further details of the enemy s attack on Britain last night confirm that no extensive damage was done, though bombs were dropped on many parts of the country, includiug two towns in the Midlands and one town ort the south coast.

Houses were damaged in one of the Midland towns and a small number of casualties resulted.

In the London area a number of persons were killed and injured in last night's attack, which was not h e avy. Fuller reports of the previous nights casualties show that 110 persons were killed and 260 injured.

Earlv this morning incendiary bombs were dropped on district* in Northern Ireland and small fires were started, but quickly extinguished. There were no casualties.

At midday to-day, in addition to attacks on London, enemy aircratt in small numbers dropped bombs on several districts in the south-east ot England. In a town in Essex considerable damage wa* done, but no casualties were reported. In several other places houses and cottages were hit, but the general damage and casualties reported are slight.

Later enemy aircraft, continuing its method of sudden attack and retreat, which characterised its activities throughout the day, dropped bombs on one district iij Central London, in Eastbourpe, in some places in Kent and in •me town in Surrey. Some casualties resulted in London. In Eastbourne there, were also some casualties, most of them

slight. Further detail* of these later attacks are not yet available. One enemy bomber was shot down by fighters this morning. Third Warning Sounds. An air raid warning was sounded for the third time to-day in the mid-after-noon. It lasted only a few minutes.

An Air Ministry and Miuistry of Home Security communique, issued after the second raid, in which the' warning contained for four hours, say*: "Following last night's ineffective, "attacks, in which bombs were dropped on London at random, through heavy clouds, a small number of enemy aircraft to-day deliberately bombed a number of conspicuous buildings in various parts of London, irrespective of their nature. It is feared that the enemy succeeded in killing and injuring a num.ber of civilians. Incendiary bombs also fell in Downing Street, but did no damage."

The Ministry of Public Security at Belfast has issued a statement that a single aircraft made an unsuccessful attack on shipping off the coast of Northern Ireland. Subsequently a small number of incendiary bomba were dropped on a coastal town. A few fires were caused, but were soon under control. The damage was slight and there were no casualties. This is the first time bombs are known to have been dropped over Northern Ireland.