BRITISH FIGHTERS PATROL AT NIGHT.

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

BRITISH FIGHTERS PATROL AT NIGHT.

OVER LONDON. Help Barrage To Keep Off Enemy Planes. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Reed. 2 p.m.) LONDON*, Oct. 1. Patrolling British warplanes assisted the barrage in keeping off night raiders, who in the first hour dropped most bombs in widely separated areas around London, including northern, south-eastern and southwestern suburbs. _ It is officially stated that enemy air attacks last night were directed mainly on London. Bombs were also dropped on Merseyeide and south-east England. A number of houses in north-east London were destroyed. Damage wae not extensive. Fires caused at Merseyside were quickly controlled, and there was no serious damage. A number of premises were hit in an East Midlands town, where several persons were fatally injured. Casualties elsewhere were not large. People in a south-eastern village saw a "Molotoff bread basket" fall and illuminate the district for miles. Eight separate fires were started, and were quickly extinguished. Four people were killed and seven injured in a south-east inland town when high explosive bombs fell in the residential area. Several bomlvt fell in an East Midland town, and five were killed and many injured when a factory was damaged" by a direct hit. Fev- Day Attackers. Two solitary planes were heard high over north-west London in the midmorning. Other planes were sighted over south-west and central districts. Explosions were later heard in north London. Other raiders were heard in the vicinity of the south-east and south-west [ coast late in the morning. Lord Luke, in a speech in London, seid that no fewer than 20 London hospitals, including some of the biggest, had been damaged by Nazi bombing raids, says a British Official Wireless message. "The enemy made several abortive attacks on the south of England to-day,"' states an Air Ministry end Ministry of Home Security communique. For the most part his aircraft did not penetrate far inland and few reports of dropping bombs have been received. "A small number of aircraft reached London and dropped bombs. These caused se»cral casualties, some being fatal, and bombs hav<? also been drop|>ed on « joint near the Welsh coa>t. causing a -mall number of casualties. Four enemy aircraft have been shot down. Three of our aircraft are mU-ing.' ,