LONDON’S ORDEAL

Evening Star, Issue 23729, 9 November 1940, Page 11

LONDON’S ORDEAL

BOMBS RAINED ON HOSPITAL HISTORIC BUILDINGS HIT NAZIS MACHINE-GUN STREETS LONDON, November 8. (Received November 9, at 11 a.m.) A street in the London area containing a number of workers’ flats was bombed last night and was littered with household goods this morning, which families were rescuing from the debris. No fewer than 10 bombs were rained on a big hospital. Two scored direct hits and others ringed the hospital with craters. Two nurses and four children were the only casualties. One ward directly hit was emptied the previous day. Some London men and girls were machine-gunned while going to work. A bomb which fell in a park killed a soldier and a girl.

The noticeable reduction .in the barrage over London last night was reported to be due to the activity of the R.A.F. night fighters. The Germans are believed to be restricting their fighter-bombers to daylight attacks and employing Junkers, heavily loaded, at night, many carrying very heavy-calibre bombs.

The Luftwaffe opened the daylight attacks with two waves of fighterbombers which crossed the coast at Dungeness and headed for London. Dog-fights were seen at a tremendous height over the capital during the first and second alerts f and crowds of Londoners stood in the streets watching the battle.

A corporal with a Bren gun shot down a Dornier bomber at Abberton today. The crew of six was captured.

It is revealed that the Tower of London. and the church of St. Clement Danes were bombed during recent raids. The raids on London and the Home Counties were continued on * fairly extensive scale from shortly after dark until after midnight. Houses, shops, and utility services were. damaged, but the casualties were not heavy, having regard to the scale of the attack. A number were killed. , BRILLIANT SCORING FIFTEEN RAIDERS IN FIVE MINUTES HURRICANE SQUADRON'S ACHIEVEMENT (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 8. (Received November 9, at 1 p.m.) Enemy air activity over Britain to 5 p.m. to-day was on a smaller scale. A few bombs were dropped by a single aircraft at a, point on the west coast and in a country district in the Midlands. No damage or casualties were caused in these' attacks. Formations of fighters or fighterbombers crossed the south-east coast on two occasions. Only a small number penetrated to the London area, where a few bombs wore dropped. There was little damage and few casualties. The Air Ministry announced at 9.10 p.m. that 20 enemy aircraft are now known to have been destroyed to-day. A large number of dive-bombers, with a strong fighter escort, tried on several occasions to attack shipping off our east and south-east coasts. On each occasion they were heavily engaged by our fighters, and 15 ot them were shot down by one Hurricane squadron in five minutes. Six of our aircraft were reported lost or missing, but the pilots of two of these are known to be safe. FORMER CLERK'S TALLY BOMBER AND TWO FIGHTERS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 8. (Received November 9, at 1 p.m.) A Manchester bank clerk, who joined the R.A.F. volunteer reserve and has now won both his commission and the D.F.C. since the war began, (shot down three German raiders into the Thames Estuary yesterday. An Air Ministry news bulletin describes how 15 Junkers dive-bombers were seen by Hurricanes fleeing for France only 100 ft above the water with formations of protecting fighters overhead. The Hurricanes, splitting up, destroyed one Junkers and four Mcsserchmitts. The bank clerk shot down the junkers and two fighters. GERMAN NAVY NEW BATTLESHIP RERUN; November 8. (Received November 9, at 2 p.m.) The illustrated papers are carrying the first pictures of the new 35,000-ton battleship, Tirpitz, of the Bismarck class, one of the throe originally laid down. NEW ZEALAND AIR CASUALTY [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, November 8. The following air casualty was announced to-night:— Sergeant Stuart Hayden Macdonald, R.N.Z.A.F., missing, believed to have been killed in air operations. His father is Mr J. R. Macdonald, 31 Shirley street, Karori, Wellington, and his wife, Mrs E. Macdonald, 218 Main road, Karori,

AMBULANCES FOR N.Z.E.F. GIFTS FROM PAISLEY LONDON, November 8. (Received November 9, at noon.) The citizens of Paisley have raised money for one of two'double steel lined ambulances to be presented to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The Brewers’ Society subscribed for the other. ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE HEW ZEALANDERS TRAINING IN BRITAIN (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 8. (Received November 9, at 1 p.m.) In order to watch New Zealanders undergoing special training for the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Mr Jordan visited a school devoted to that purpose. Those who attend are men with experience of the merchant service and deep-sea yachting. Sis hundred men from Britain and the Empire are undergoing the course to qualify them for a naval career.

PURCHASE OF AIRCRAFT WORLD-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 8. (Received November 9, at 1 p.m.) With a further remittance of £IO,OOO sterling the contributions of the people of Burma towards the purchase of aircraft have now reached a total of £150,000. Sierra Leone has contributed over £25,000. Contributions h ave also been received from Uganda and Busogna. IRISH WOOL GUP BRITISH CONTROL BOARD'S OFFER DUBLIN, November 7. In the Dail the Minister of Supiplie.s, Mr F. Lemas, said the Government was considering the British Woo] Control Board’s offer to purchase the total Irish wool clip.