"NOISY NIGHT."

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 91, 18 April 1941, Page 7

"NOISY NIGHT ."

AMAZING ENDURANCE.

Londoners Remain Cheerful Despite Ordeal. r.iiii-li oniriiii Wiri'li-s-K. (lived. l.:m p.m.) RU(iHV. April 17. Tt is generally agreed that the air attack cm London was one of (he heaviest yet experienced. Of eight hospitals hil, one was ;i maternity home, and another eared for mental patients. In this a bomb exploded in the centre ward containing ~>o women, killing many of them.

More t linn 100 guests had a fortunate c«-eape when a shower ot" iiicendiarie.s which fell on an hotel roof wa< follewed liy a high explosive bonib which tell nearby and did extensive damage by the blast. Many nf the. guests were on the way lei shelters when window* and doors wore blown in and the i-i'ilinjr fell on them, but only a few were slightly injured. A London i-liib. which received a direct hit, was occupied by oversells troop*. The bomb tore through the tide of the building and hurled the occupants from their beds into the basement.

When the roof of a church was blazing from eml to end and large piere* of wood began to crash in the building, nniirs continued to remove .-acred vessels to safetv.

Yet willi thi* toll of wanton and sen.-elos destruction Londoners this morning wore patiently and cheerfully making their way to their places of work, commenting on the '"noisy night"' they had spent, making light of some of the inevitable traffic delays, and generally living up to their reputation for amazing endurance which they had earned during last winter.

Mr. -1. *.'. Winant. American Auibari-.-ador in Britain, was in the *treet> lip fore dawn talking with victims of the raid, ami i< reported as saying that he \v«s more than ever impressed by the spirit shown by tlio people of London. Casualties Heavy. Early report-? show that, the casual ties were heavy ami that considerable damage was done, stales the Air Ministrv.

At dawn to-day lire engines were clanging through street., strewn with debrie. It is. estimated that thousands of people are homeless. Thev are thronging tlie ro-t centres where they are being given hot tea. sandwiches anil clothing. Arrangements are 'being made for emergency housing.

Churches, hospitals, blocks of shop* and Hats suffered extensively. Demolition >si|iiads are at work clearing up

the wreckage

The raiders came over in relays and dropped hundreds of Hares, followed b\ bomlw which came, screeching from a starry sky ill terrific blows that seemed to set London rocking. As the waning moon appeared in the early hours of tin , morning the ruin of missiles continned, until the all clear wars i-ounded at •"> a.m.

Divc-lioniliilig was the newest and ino-t daring lactic adopted by the raiders. it is,believed that -everu! hundred aeroplanes, more than in any |irevioiio raid, rimashed at. the .Metro polis.

The raiders r-howeied thousands, of incendiaries and heavy ' hjjgli-exploeive ■bombs. Another new tactic seemed to be tiic dropping of bomb* one by one. Comparatively tew sticks of three to live high-explosive bombs were dropped simultaneously. Furious Air Due?k. Riivnl Air Fine ni/rht lighter* and (iciiiiiiu iittiU'k' l iv duelled furiously over the blazing city, and roof spotter* , heard the alum.-t constant drone of Defiaiitr l . Hurricanes and Beaufort*. Tliere »as fre(]nent machine-gunning.

The bulk of the populace burrowed under the ground to basements, subv.'Z£ stations and Anderson shelters in back gardens—any place where they would feel best protected from blast and flying bricks, glass, timber and girders.

From soon alter dark, when the liret of the continuous waves of raiders began to pour over London, all the civilian defence personnel struggled with their jo-iv, in spite of the terrifying rain of high explosives, incendiaries and anti-aircraft t-Wftl fragments.

The thousands of incendiaries started many tires which threw a jriant orange glow over the Metropolis. Fire enginee

elanped nlmo»t constantly. ;i ml fire-li.aliti-i"r. who spend tin. da v a- ■ Ii■ i■ k-. >ale~nieu and liiii-iue-.- men bullied wiih I In- llame- amid I In. , hail nf more iiiccudiaries and thousand* i>l hiuh e\plur.ivi-«. The fire* were i|iii-lli-il with

'■Till' spirit [if Londoner- appear- In in' bearilijr up well under the -train of llii 1 constant hammering." slated a lirii'f lodged while llu' laid was ill pronre.--. "In tin- ollii-i' of i]\r Pre-,-. .\~<>ocintioli a few moment- ;i;ii the office Imi\. acii'd !.">. f-unozed in a chair l.c-ide ih ( , >witehboard, i»lili\iuu« nf the deafening explosion- of bombs, llip

detonation* nf fjiilis and tlk- rocking <>[' the building. We had to micl-ji- him to aiicwer i lit- telephone."

Five Raiders Destroyed. Kive (if the eneiiiv raider*

destroyed. One was '-hot down in a resident's backyard. When tliU machine was hit there wa* a terrific ll,i*h, followed by orau;e and red flames. It came down like a meteor. People cheered. The occupants were -till alive, although some were injured. Hombs were dropped a!.-.. ..ntr-ide London, mainly in the home ami eai-tern counties and in the -outh ca-l. -tate^ tlie Air Mini-try. In n... f the-,. -,rca^ were car-uallie* lnr™ • damage cMen>i\ e. RESTORING ORDER. The Recuperative Powers Of London. MOST FIRES UNDER CONTROL. (Reed. 2 p.m.) LONDON". April 17. London's recuperative powers and reserve strength were shown in the degree of order restored this morning. The majority of the fjroat tires were under control and ami water supplies were affected only in some areas. Lord Auckland was killed in the raid.

'Clio llotiiu radio quotes a N'a/.i pilot as sa_\'iii.ir that tlie I>i"itish ant i-aircraft, fiio ua< "damned accurate" aii'l the bariiijie \vn< the. deadliest i hut London liad v\ er put up. ,

NOTABLE VICTIMS. (Reed. 2 p.m.) RLtiBY. April 17. The death-* last night of Lord and Lady Stamp, a* a result of enemy action, is recorded. Lord Stamp wn«" economic adviser to the <iov(\rnment and was one of the outstanding economists, stat:*tiei;iii.s and political seionti>te of our time. A- chairman of the London. Midland and Scottish Railway and director of the Bank of ICnghind. he occupied a unique position in the bitt-i----mvs world.

A cable message states that Lord Stamp's eldest son and heir is also feared to have been killed.