WIDE AREA BOMBED

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23129, 19 September 1940, Page 7

WIDE AREA BOMBED

Raids on London On Tuesday CASUALTIES MAY BE HIGHER \ (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT.) (Received September 18, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, September 18. An official communique issued by the Air Ministry this morning states: “It is feared that the casualties from enemy raids last night may be heavier than on recent nights. A wider area round London and other parts qf the country, including the Glasgow .district, was bombed. “A Mersey-side town had its heaviest raid of the war last night. "In London three big drapery establishments in the Oxford street shopping area were damaged by high-ex-plosive bombs. There were no casualties except in the premises of one firm, when the company’s volunteer fire brigade lost three of its members while they were dealing with a fire which had broken-out. “On the south side of the river the famous Lambeth Walk market was damaged, several houses and shops being demolished.” London had four air-raid warnings this morning, none of which lasted long. Germany lost 12 aeroplanes in raids on Great Britain yesterday. Five of the enemy machines were shot down after dark, four falling to anti-aircraft batteries and one to a British fighter. Three British machines were lost, but the pilots of two are safe. London had six air raid alarms between 8.3 a.m. and 8.10 p.m., and the raid during the night lasted nine hours 52 minutes, the longest yet experienced. The main feature of the defence was the anti-aircraft barrage. A number of fires broke out in the East End of London, but they were quickly controlled. Soon after the 8.10 p.m. warning started, the anti-aircraft barrage went into action, and raiders were heard over central London. The four earlier raids lasted only a short time, the first and second, coming at 8 a.m. and 9.15 a.m., lasting about 45 minutes each. Many people on their way to work carried on as usual. Cheerful and Undaunted Heartened by Mr Churchill’s tribute to their courage, Londoners again settled down to a “Hitler night” with the adaptability for which the Cockney spirit is renowned. Every variety of communal amusement is now resorted to by neighbours sheltering together while “they are overhead,”- and it is difficult for an onlooker to realise, in the words of a neutral observer, that the Germans fondly imagine they are terrorising these patient, cheerful, undaunted people. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique issued late last night said: “Enemy activity was on a small scale until the early afternoon. Although bombs were dropped in widely-scattered districts in south and south-east England, little damage was done, but a small number of people were killed or injured in south-west London. “At Portsmouth a church and several houses were hit and a small number of people were injured. “About 3.15 p.m. several large waves of enemy aircraft crossed the coast of Kent, flying towards London, and a large force was sent to intercept the enemy. No major battle took place, but contact was made over Kent. The enemy promptly scattered and did not penetrate further inland than Maidstone.” The Air Ministry’s news service says that the Germans during- the afternoon sent more than 200 fighters across the Channel. The battles were fought in a gale over Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and the Thames Estuary, and although the British fighter pilots were handicapped by heavy clouds when searching for the enemy they destroyed five. Anti-aircraft gunners oh the south-east coast also shot down two. Waves of Raiders The first formation of Messerschn.Uts approached the coast at 3 p.m. and continued to come over in waves of 20 and 30 for the next half hour. At 25,000 feet over Maidstone, 12 Spitfires routed a formation of Messerschmitts. „ Although these famous Fighter Command auxiliary pilots do not claim to have definitely destroyed any German machines pilots, when they landed, said: "One was swaying in a dive with white smoke pouring from the fuselage a second was flying ver y slowly at 1000 feet, and a third was spinning cut of control.” , , , .. A solitary raider bombed a southeast town yesterday morning, hitting ihe principal shopping centre and several private houses. Considerable damage was done, and there weie a number of casualties . nil „ : In a south-east town a famous fifteenth century church was struck. The church had some lovely stainedglass windows, some of which were nfenow'known that only 11 British pilots were lost in Sunday s battles, two more having been reported safe A Berlin communique says that Ger man air activity on Monday was limited to armed reconnaissance because of the unfavourable weather but several aerodromes in the south of England, the Midlands, Whitby harbour and industrial works were effectively atbefore noon on Monday the reprisals against London were J®sumed at intervals, increasing in strength and continuing till next morning. Haibour dockyards and military objectives were bombed and new fires were started. Liverpool was bombed at night Two British aeroplanes were shot down and one was destroyed on the ground. The enemy refrained from attacking Germany on September 16. N.Z. PILOTS WIN D.F.C. LONDON, September 17. It is revealed that Flying Officer Brian George Carbury, Wellington who has been awarded the D.1.C., lea his section against two aeroplanes operating on the north-east coast, destroying both. He was almost continually engaged from August 28 to September 2, against large enemy raids over Kent and destroyed eight enemy aeroplanes, five of which he brought down in three successive engagements in one day. ~ . , Pilot Officer Michael James Herrick, of Hastings, won his D.F.C. during an interception patrol on September 4, when he destroyed two aeroplanes. He succeeded in closing up to within 30 yards of the second, which fell to pieces under his fire. A South African member of the Royal Air Force, Pilot Officer Jack Simpson, has been awarded the D.F.C. for his attack on the German warship Gneisenau at Kiel some time ago.

turned back with heavy losses, and the few which actually got through were insufficient in numbers in any one area to undertake any concentrated bombing. The next change in tactics was the employment of large waves of bombers following one another in quick succession. It was obviously hoped that the later waves would take the defences unawares. This has proved disastrous, as the week-end engagements, including Sunday’s colossal defeat, have shown. There is some speculation as to what new experiment in daylight raids may be attempted, but confidence is high that whatever form it may take the Royal Air Force will be ready to meet it. As for night-bombing, it has so far failed in its much-advertised aims of disorganising communications, civilian and military, and terrorising the civil population. Meanwhile, the British fighter losses have been relatively small, while half the pilots shot down have survived and are still fighting. The authorities, it may be added, are well satisfied with the rate of aircraft production and with the progress of the Empire training scheme, with its vast promise of a steady flow of personnel and reinforcements. A feature of the Royal AJir Force’s constant raids over enemy and enemyoccupied territory has been the low rate of loss. The British bomber strength has scarcely been affected in consequence. The effectiveness of these regular incursions into enemy territory is not open to doubt. The extent of the raids is most readily appreciated when they are reviewed over a period of the week between September 8. and 14 inclusive. Raids on Germany and occupied territory included 42 attacks on rail systems in Germany, Belgium, and occupied France, two raids on oil tanks, two attacks on aircraft works, three raids on ammunition stores, three raids on factories and a blast furnace, two raids on the Brussels power station, one on the gasworks in Berlin, 15 raids on German aerodromes, three on aerodromes in Belgium, and two on aerodromes in Holland. In addition there were 44 raids on German and German-occupied docks, including Hamburg, Bakhaen, Altona, Wilhelmshaven, Kiel. Hansafen, Wismar, Ostend. Calais. Boulogne, Flushing Dunkirk, Antwerp, and Delfzijl, attacks on barge concentrations, two raids on canal and river systems. 11 attacks on shipping, three attacks on gun emplacements at Cape Gris Nez and three on anti-aircraft batteries and searchlights. VICTORIES OVER GERMANS RUGBY, September 17. A New Zealand flight commander, who is credited with shooting down 12 and one-thirtieth German machines—the fraction being a result of the share he has taken in three actions with other pilots in bringing down single enemy aeroplanes—has had an adventurous time in reaching this score. He has been shot down four or five times, and has parachuted three times in one day. In July, l>e made a headon attack on a Messerschrnitt 109. Neither he nor the enemy would give way. They collided. The Messerschmitt’s airscrew struck the upper part of the British pilot’s cockpit. His hood would not open, so he had to smash his way out as the flames entered the cockpit. He was awarded the D.F.C. for his share in escorting a Miles Master training aircraft across the Channel to Calais to rescue his squadron leader. He and another pilot in Spitfires were attacked by 12 Messerschmitts. Both pilots destroyed one each and shared the destruction of a third and probably a fourth. The Miles Master was undamaged. He had a very narrow escape recently when he had just taken off with another pilot. As they left the ground, a bomb came crashing near them. The port window of his aircraft was torn off. He and the machine were hurled into the next field, landing upside down and skidding along for 100 yards' before coming to rest. He was rescued by the other pilot.