BOMBS DROPPED IN LONDON AREA

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23108, 26 August 1940, Page 7

BOMBS DROPPED IN LONDON AREA

(British Official Wireless and United Press Association—Copyright.) (Received August 2(i, 1.30 LONDON. August 25. The Air Ministry announces that two biff mass raids began at 3 p.m. on Saturday. In the first attack 300 bombers with fiffhter escorts penetrated inland, causing: the London anti-aircraft defences to go into action. At the same time 500 bombers and fighters raided the Portsmouth area. , . High explosives and incendiary bombs fell in London during the raids and the numerous fires suggest that the incendiary bombs were dropped in large containers known as “Molotov breadbaskets.” An incendiary bomb hit the roof of a hospital. Nurses helped firemen to extinguish it. A high-ex-plosive bomb killed a 65-year-old widow who was sheltering on stairs instead of in a backyard shelter. Home Guards in the Midlands area reported seeing parachutes descending, and were of the opinion that this was a repetition of the old hoax. Explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped this morning in a south-west district. Four small houses were wrecked. There was a number of casualties, some fatal. The German Air Force has raided south and southeast England repeatedly since early on Saturday morning. Until the middle of Saturday afternoon attacks were concentrated on aerodromes in east Kent. Then large numbers of German bombers were flung into two new mass raids. Screaming bombs were dropped in the London area. A huge, vivid red glow appeared in the sky. A few minutes later buses were still running. One bomb was heard to explode in a densely-packed area. Londoners continued going about their business calmly. Buses, trams, and trains carried on. Shortly before midnight, a bomb from a raider caused a fire in the business section of London. Hundreds of firemen fought the blaze, while the raider was still circling over them. The fire raged furiously for half an hour before it was brought under control. Home Guards and police closed the approaches to the fire as crowds which emerged from shelters surged round. Windows in a number of buildings were blown out, and some other fires were caused. The casualties are believed to be few. The north-east had its longest raid since the war began. Enemy aeroplanes passed over a coastal town and dropped 15 bombs on the outskirts at intervals of a few yards. Houses were damaged and a gas main was set on fire* Other bombs fell inland. Anti-aircraft guns were heavily in action. The total damage was slight considering the length of the raid and the number of explosions. It is officially stated that reports received up to 9.30 p.m. on Saturday show that 45 enemy aeroplanes were destroyed during the day’s engagements. Fighters shot down 40 and anti-aircraft batteries five.

A sergtant pilot in a Spitfire squadron shot down five Messerschmitts in three battles. His squadron engaged 20 Junkers aircraft with at least 20 escorting fighters over the Thames Estuary. The squadron destroyed lour Messorschmilts and probably a fifth. A Hurricane squadron patrolling the Thames Estuary encountered 30 Junk- , ers with 30 Messerschmitts. They destroyed a Junkers and a Messerschmilt

was no activity in the sky, apart from ■British aircraft, and the all-clear signal followed after a short interval An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique states: "Enemy aircraft again approached the London area last evening. The only bombs dropped were in the eastern outskirts, and they fell in fields, causing minor damage, Portsmouth .was attacked by a large force of enemy aircraft this evening. Reports of the damage and casualties are not yet complete, but it is known that a number of buildings were hit and some fires caused. “Later the enemy .directed attacks from the air on Dover and Ramsgate. Little damage was caused at Dover, but at Ramsgate some buildings were hit, including the gas works. Some persons were killed and injured. "Attacks were also made on the Royal Air Force aerodrome at Mansion, near Ramsgate, where considerable damage was done to buildings. “Reports so far received show that during these operations 10 more enemy aircraft were shot down, one by antiaircraft gunfire.” The German High Command announced: “Our aeroplanes on Friday attacked harbour works, dockyards, , aerodromes, armament works, and troop camps in the Midlands and north of England, and bombed ammunition works at Banbury, causing violent explosions. Night attacks caused fires which were visible for a great distance at Avonmouth, Devonport, Great Yarmouth and Cambridge. A few enemy aeroplanes ineffectively bombed western Germany last night. Three or four were shot down by anti-aircraft guns and chasers. Two of our aeroplanes are missing. U-boats have sunk more than 100.000 tons of enemy shipping in eight days. One U-boat sank 15.000 tons of shipping, and another sank the armed British merchantmen, Severn Leigh and B'rookwood. in addition to an unnamed ship of 4000 tons. A third U-boat torpedoed an 11,000-ton ship.” Raids on Friday .Single German bombers over nearly 100 towns and villages throughout Friday drooped many bombs ana machine-gunned a seaside street. A police station was bombed and also a racecourse. The damage and casualties were small. _ The raids were continued after nightfall and were concentrated on ’ the south-east coast, where 20 bombs were dropped in a residential area. A heavy anti-aircraft barrage drove off the aeroplanes. The casualties were light, because the residents wen two shelters. It is believed that a new type of “silent” bomb was dropped near a south-east town on Thursday. A large crater was formed a few ‘yards from some cottages, the occupants of which did not hear any explosions, The Leipzig radio stated that Marshal Goering's aeroplanes were producing such a panic in Britain that mental hospitals were filled with new patients. , When one cinema in the London area was hit by a bomb early on Friday, the boiler house was practically wrecked and the boilers were left hanging fantastically near the orchestral stalls. The cinema walls were torn down, pieces four feet long were hurled 15 yards, and shop windows in the vicinity were smashed. Many flat dwellers in the neighbourhood, who were 1 asleep, had no time to rush to shelters. Their beds were littered with glass splinters. The rear wall of the flats was blown out, leaving the interiors exposed. The furniture from one room was scattered in the streets. , , . , Bombs fell in another suburb where the second cinema, a bank, and flats above some shops were damaged. Windows were widely shattered. The

and damaged a second Messerschmitt. At the same time 12 Hurricanes intercepted 15 Heinkels and 15 Messerschmitts. They shot down a Heinkel and a Messerschmitt, probably destroyed a second Heinkel. and damaged a third. Spitfires encountered 50 Messerschmitt Jaguars escorted by an equal formation of fighters. The Spitfires destroyed two and damaged three of the Germans. Pilots of Defiants took part in three operations, attacking 24 Junkers. They destroyed four of them, and went on and shot down a Heinkel. and damaged a Messerschmitt. Last night a considerable number of enemy aeroplanes, most of them operating singly, dropped bombs in many districts in England and South Wales, including the London area. Anti-air-craft defences were in action at many points and fighters went up. One epemy bomber is known to have been shot. down. A flight lieutnenant who was recently awarded the D.F.C. caught a Heinkel near a Surrey town early in the morning, chased it for 50 miles and shot it down in flames into the sea. He also damaged another Heinkel. Running Fights During the second wave of raids above east Kent, a Spitfire squadron had a series of running fights which lasted for one and a half hours. They first met a formation of 30 or 40 Junkers 88 bombers flying in herringbone pattern. A pilot who found himself underneath this formation sprayed five of the leading German bombers With machine-gun bullets. Other Spitfires climbed to attack some 30 German fighters flying nearly five miles high. In the clear air at this great height, at Which each pilot inhaled from his oxygen apparatus, a series of dog-fights began. Two Messefschmitts went down. The Spitfire squadron chased one Messerschmitt 109 across to France, and saw it crash miles inland from Calais. They shot down a second Messerschmitt into the sea off Cape Gris Nez. Over Ramsgate a Hurricane squadron destroyed three Junkers 88 bombers and a McsserschmiU 109. One of the pilots, a Polish sergeant, made a German bomber burst into flumes and fall into the sea. Then fie sent a German fighter crashing after it. A squadron of Defiants encountered 20 Junkers 83’s, followed by Heinkel 113 fighters. The Defiants tackled the enemy at 30C0 feet. The Junkers machines at once went into a steep dive. The Defiants. diving after them, chased the enemy out to sea, bringing down three Junkers and one Heinkel •fighter before the rest disappeared. As a result of the day’s engagements 10 British missing, but the pilot of one is sa?e. A number of bombs dropped within the London area, but it is too early to ascertain the damage done. Reports of Saturday morning’s activities received up to 11 a-nt. show that enemy aircraft dropped bombs on a town on the coast of East Anglia, Where damage was done to seme houses and a small number of casualties caused. , , A few enemy aircraft approached the London area, but did not Penetrate beyond the outskirts. British ■fighters intercepted and shot down at least three enemy aircraft in the morning's operations. A ■warning was sounded, in the London area, but there

street on Friday was closed against traffic. Only two or three persons were slightly injured. Enemy aeroplanes dropped nearly 200 incendiary bombs in rural areas in the south-west of England on Friday morning. Forty-five ringed the buildings of one farm, but did little damage.

Two German airmen were picked up off the Scottish coast after spending 12 hours in a rubber boat. Their two companions had been washed away and drowned.

A Ministry of Home Security communique states; “Bombs were dropped in a small town near the coast in Hampshire and at a few places on the Isle of Wight on Friday evening. Some damage was done to houses and shops and there were a number of casualties, including some persons killed.” Among the interesting targets selected for an attack by individual low-flying German raiders during Friday were the streets of a spa, the grass of racecourses, the cottages of a small village and a police station in the Midlands. The spa street and police station were machine-gunned and the racecourse and village were bombed. One casualty was caused in the village. German bombers also tried to machine-gun anti-aircraft sites, but that was more dangerous.

A careful investigation «f official figures shows that German losses of trained airmen from August 8 to Friday exceeded 2000 on a conservative estimate.

Taking a bomber crew to average four, the enemy lost 1636 trained airmen, to which figure must be added 180 single-seater fighter pilots, and at least 300 more from the 139 Messerschmltt 110’s or Jaguars, which carry two or three men. This gives a total of 2116 without counting any crews from aeroplanes so badly damaged that it is probable they were unable to reach their bases.