Vicious Tactics Of Nazi Airmen

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 234, 2 October 1940, Page 7

Vicious Tactics Of Nazi Airmen

LONDON ATTACKS

Dives Through Curtain Of Fire To Machine-Gun Streets

(United Fress Association.—Copyright.—Rec 1 pjn.)

LONDON. October 1.

Londoners heard between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. to-day one of the fiercest anti-aircraft barrages so far at night. For minutes at a time the night was rendered hideous by the deafening uproar as raiders, apparently adopting new tactics, swooped down in defiance of the barrage.

The West End and Central London quivered as the big guns blazed away at the intruders who seemed to b« roaring over the housetops. One big fire was started, but was controlled before dawn.

Four heavy bombs falling near a famous Central London square caused no casualties. Houses in a neighbouring mews were demolished. One bomb destroyed a street of working class houses in south-west London and 22 people were rescued from the wreckage. Many are believed to have been killed.

A Junkers bomber surprisingly appeared over south-east London after daylight and flew over the housetops firing a cannon. He then roared over a train, which he machine-gunned. Some bullets penetrated the roof, but no casualties were reported.

The bomber later raked two streets in a south-eastern area with machine-gun fire.

A raider which crashed at Redhill after a fight with a Hurricane this morning is believed to be the machine which attacked the train.

After driving his sick wife to hospital through a barrage in South London, a resident was buried when his home was wrecked by a bomb. A raider bombed the district after the "all clear," demolishing three houses, in which five people were killed. Others are still buried.

A number of houses were demolished in the outskirts of East London, where a large house was burnt out by an oil bomb.

A "Molotoff bread basket" fell in a field near a south-east London hospital containing 360 children. There were no casualties.

The Germans bombed a thickly-populated south-west London district in the afternoon. Some casualties are reported.

To-day's raids were in three phases. Anti-aircraft guns repulsed single raiders in north-west, south-west and Central London.