LONDON AGAIN RAIDED

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1940, Page 7

LONDON AGAIN RAIDED

MANY “CALLS’—FEW CASUALTIES THAMES ESTUARY DAMAGE GERMANS LOSE 46 ’PLANES [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

LONDON, September 18. The all-clear signal was sounded in London on Wednesday morning, after a warning lasting nine hours and fifty-two minutes, the longest yet. Bombs have been dropped in many different areas around the metropolis of London early this (Wednesday) morning. In addition, Central London, and the West End of London have also been bombed. A number of fires* broke out in the East End of London, but were quickly controlled. Two big West End departmental stores have been damaged, and also a subway. Several houses in a London suburb have been demolished and a school damaged. Incendiary bombs and high explosive bombs have been dropped in a south'-west Scottish town and in a north-west of England town. Isolated “nuisance” raiders caused three daylight alarms in London on Wednesday before 10 a.m. There was heavy anti-aircraft fire and the shrapnel rained on the roofs of transport vehicles carrying business • people to the city.

OFFICIAL REPORT. RUGBY, September 18. A joint Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique states: Enemy air activity to-day has been mainly confined to the south-eastern area. Formations of enemy aircraft crossed the coast of Kent«on several occasions during the day, and spread inland towards London and the Thames Estuary. Few of them reached London, and no bombs-are reported to have been dropped in this area. A number of bombs were dropped, mainly near the Thames Estuary, but the damage appears to have been caused mainly to dwelling-houses, and the number of casualties reported is small, though it includes some fatally injured. The enemy has been continuously engaged by our fighters and antiaircraft guns throughout the day. One of the 42 enemy aircraft destroyed was brought down by anti-aircraft guns. SEVEN WARNINGS. RUGBY,, September 18. An air-raid warning sounded seven ‘ times in the London area since dawn. Most of the warnings were in operation for only a few minutes, the exception being one after midday, which lasted for one and three-quar-ter hours. In all cases, the raiders were driven off; before reaching theoutskirts. It was officially stated, at 8.45 p.m.: “Forty-two enemy aircraft have been destroyed in engagements during the day. Nine R.A.F. fighters were lost, but the pilots of five are safe.” 8 FIGHTERS TO EACH BOMBER (Recd. Sept. 19, 11.15 a.m.). , LONDON, September 17. The seventh air-raid warning in London to-day, and incidentally thel hundredth since the outbreak, was i given at 5.58 p.m. ( Three hundred raiders crossed the south-east coast in an endless stream for 15 minutes during the afternoon.] Eight fighters escorted each bomber. GRAVEYARD STRUCK. 1 (Recd. Sept. 19, 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, September 18. Night raiders’ bombs hit the Lambeth Walk Market, and three wellknown Oxford Street stores, namely, John Lewis, Bourne and Hollingsworth, and D. H. Evans. Hundreds of people sheltering under the stores were unhurt. A large bomb uprooted trees and tombstones in a central graveyard. Five bombs, falling on a building adjoining the Bank of New South Wales, set fire to the bank. The fire was extinguished after the premises were damaged by fire and water. An incendiary bomb slightly damaged the Spanish Embassy. During the third warning, in the morning, the roar of battle was heard over the Thames Estuary. Numerous high-explosive bombs considerably a damaged one Estuary town, and caused eight casualties. A Junkers plane was shot down by anti-aircraft guns at Maidstone last night, and crashed on ‘ two houses. Four of the crew and one elderly invalid were killed. - , The sirens sounded for the eighth time, at 7.58 p.m. I

GERMAN PLAN FAILS ' RUGBY, September 18. A description of Wednesday’s daylight attacks by the German air force on south-east England was given late on Wednesday night by the Air Ministry news service. Five separate waves of bombers and fighters were sent over at intervals between 9.30 a.m. and 8 p.m,, with the apparent object of wearing down the R.A.F. fighter defence. The assaults were strenuous, but the results were disappointing to the enemy, who lost 46 aircraft, as ascertained up to 10 p.m. Forty-five were shot down by R.A.F. fighters, and one by anti-aircraft fire. Each wave of German aircraft followed roughly the same course, closing on the Kent coast between Dungeness. and North Foreland,,,and each was met by Hurricanes and Spitfires. One raid of 15 bombers surrounded, as one R.A.F. pilot said, by a sphere of Messerschmitt 109 fighters, was dispersed so quickly that when the Spitfires met them near the Kentish coast, only "three British pilots got a chance to fire. A patrol of Hurricanes, met a formation of enemy bombers, heavily protected by Messerschmitts stepped up to tiers above them. Near the Isle of Sheppey, on the way up the Thames Estuary, the a head-on attack on the bombers. “They jettisoned their bombs, even before we attacked,” one of the Hurricane pilots said, “and ,went straight out over Folkestone.” ,

The third and fourth attacks came in quick succession. Soon after 4 p.m., another 100 of the enemy came in over Kent, again making for the Thames Estuary, and before this was over, another 250 bombers and fighters were already on their way, one formation of 100 coming in by Dungeness. It was these two attacks which took the roughest handling from the British fighters. A squadron of Spitfires over Kent shot down five bombers and one fighter-bomber, as well as sharing in the destruction of another Heinkel. Better was to come. A single squadron of Hurricanes, near the Thames Esluary, shot down eight Dorniers and three Junkers, as well as sharing in the destruction of three more. In the same fight,' two other Hurricane patrols' accounted for nine more bombers alone. GERMAN PLANES COLLIDE. — RUGBY, September 18. It is now known that two of the Messerschmitt 109’s which were brought down yesterday over Britain, collided in mid-air. They were members of a group of seven Messerschmitts which were attacked by a single Spitfire pilot. “They immediately turned for home,”, he said, “in such disorder that two of them collided, and crashed.” TUESDAY NIGHT’S RAIDS. HEAVIER CASUALTIES. 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 of 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 highexplosive 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.”

In Bond Street windows were shattered, and the buildings littered with broken glass. A world-famous jeweller, in Bond Street, said this morning: “Business as usual until the building goes. W.e still have our tails well up.” His stock was in the cellar, and he was ready to serve customers. The manageress of a shop selling women’s shoes also said. “We will carry on as usual.” Members of" the staff were tidying up the shop ready for customers, although the shop was in part of the street closed to traffic. In the part of the street still open, cars were pulling up to the kerbs, and buses were running. In Berkeley Square most of the big blocks of flats and offices were damaged. Only one side of the famous square is now occupied by private homes, and these suffered similarly. Bombs fell on Park Lane, but guests in the two famous hotels there went on dancing. In Tuesday night’s raids a northwestern town suffered the heaviest casualties yet when a number of bombers made a surprise attack during the night. One plane 'machinegunned women and children when hurrying to a shelter. A number of policemen and auxiliary firemen were killed and injured by bombs.

BOMBING THE LAMBETH WALK ABBEY LAWN ALSO HIT RUGBY, September 18. Lambeth Walk street market was one of the targets that suffered two direct hits by enemy bombs in a recent night-raid. This humble street is best known as having given its name to a popular song and dance, which has been sung, whistled, danced, in ’almost every country of the world, since nearly three years ago, it scored an immediate success in the musical play “Me and my Girl,” which until indiscriminate bombing necessitated suspension, was still running at the London theatre, where it was originally performed. The narrow little street, along the centre of which runs a quarter-mile of market stalls, lined on each side with small shops, is the very heart of Cockney London. The true Cockney spirit displayed itself when soon after daylight, following the night bombing, . shopkeepers and stallholders were clearing away the debris, preparing to carry on, and customers from surrounding streets were crowding in to make purchases. , - During the recent raids on London a bomb fell, on the lawn of Westminstei’ Abbey, causing a small crater, but doing no damage to the Abbey. KILLED IN GARAGE. (Recd. Sept. 19, 1.15 p.m.) LONDON, September 18. After 17 hours of rescue efforts, an injured man was released from a car in which he was trapped in the basement at a West End garage. His wife was killed nearby. Eight members of the Auxiliary Fire Service were killed in the same garage, by a bomb.

GERMAN CLAIMS BERLIN, September 18. The Official News Agency reports that German, bombers carried out a devastating attack on London supply depots yesterday, and that they caused a serious explosion at the Croydon aerodrome. They set fire to many war working factories in the Thames Estuary; directly hit anti-aircraft batteries; and heavily damaged the Armstrong and Rolls-Royce works in Birmingham.

I (Recd. Sept. 19, 12.35 p.m.) BERLIN, Sept. 18. A communique states: Reprisals against London continued on September 17 with increasing violence. Bombs of all calibres were dropped • on the East India, London and Victoria Docks, also hitting gas and water works, railway stations, and military targets. We attacked northern 'England aircraft factories and ports, and severely damaged a 5000ton merchantman from Northern Ireland, Nine enemy planes were shot down. ITALIAN REPORT. (Received September 19, 12.15 p.m.) ROME, September 18. , The radio stated that 1200 German planes attacked Britain on September 17, making unusable seven of the 10 aerodromes in the London region. BALLOONS GO-ADRIFT. (Recd. September 19, 1.25 p.m.) LONDON, September 18. “The Times’s” Stockholm correspondent says: Dozens of British barrage balloons drifted over southern and western Sweden, yesterday, trailing steel cables, and damaging the electricity supply and other communications. The balloons drifted 300 miles® across Sweden. Planes, anti-aircraft guns, and the Home Guard attempted to'bring down the balloons, and were occasionally successful. The electric train service in western Sweden was interrupted by the balloons. Trams at Gothenburg were halted, and several southern Swedish communities were blacked out.

Forty balloons were reported over Denmark, where much damage was done. Power was cut off in the whole of South Jutland. One balloon 5 was seen over Helsinki. It is officially stated in Berlin that German pursuit planes brought down 920 British balloons, adrift over the Continent. NEUTRAL ESTIMATES. ‘ (Recd. September 19,” 1.25 p.m.) LONDON, September 18. Neutral military attaches and correspondents, who experienced the bombings of Warsaw, Barcelona, and Madrid, agree that London has already taken more punishment than any city, not excluding Rotterdam. They express the opinion that the Luftwaffe has failed to achieve the main purpose of the raids, because the bombs have not disorganised London’s communications, thus supplies and reinforcements can still be sent to areas where the Germans planned to invade. HOME GUARD’S BRAVERY RUGBY, September 17. Th« first occasion on which a military decoration has been awarded to ’ a member of the Home Guard has been announced in the London Gazette, Volunteer Jones receiving the Military Medal for an act of bravery. His act is officially described in these words: “Jones, a member of a Guard posted in defence of a vital point, was on guard when the post was bombed. One man was killed, and one seriously wounded. Jones, who was himself in a place of safety, on hearing the groans of the wounded man, at once left his shelter and carried the man on his back to a place of safety. During this time bombs, debris, large pieces of steel work, and heavy glass were still falling. Jones carried out his task with a complete disregard of his own safety.”

INVESTITURE IN SHELTER LONDON, September 17. The King to-day held an investiture in the air raid shelter at Buckingham Palace. OLD PALACE DAMAGED LONDON, September 18. An incendiary bomb damaged the Great Hall at Eltham Palace, a famous historic fragment dating back six and a half centuries. Firemen saved the buildings from destruction, which would have wiped out the last vestige of the palace where Henry VIII was educated, and Edward 111 held Parliament. An, anti-aircraft shell fell on the lawn at Westminster Abbey, to-day, but did not explode. A time-bomb fell near the American Embassy building, but did no damage. FOOD SUPPLIES ADEQUATE. RUGBY, September 18. The Minister for Food (Lord Woolton) stated to-day that recent enemy air-raids were directed at Britain’s food supplies, but that, after visiting the East End to see the damage done to food supplies, he was able to say that the extent of the damage was at most one day’s consumption of a particular commodity. The damage done to other food commodities had not been more than could be put right, if the wholes population said, “We shall put this right by going without one meal.” The air attacks, said Lord Woolton, had provided a real testing of the Ministry - organisation, covering the whole of Greater London, and he did not think it had failed in any particular, in spite of having premises immediately next door to offices which were razed to the ground.

Lord Woolton revealed that 1 provincial stocks of ! food had to be brought to London on one day, to replace the destroyed stocks. Not much was wanted, he said, but it was a nice piece of work. Within 12 hours, the needed stocks had been removed from a port 200 miles away, to the London area. PRICE OF SUGAR. (Recd. September 19, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, September 18. Replying to a request for an explanation of the recent increase in the retail price of sugar, when, the world price is continually falling, also when the new Cuban contract price is under one half-penny per lb. prime cost, Mr Boothby, in the Commons, said that sugar supplies for Britain were drawn mainly from Empire purchases, and Cuban sugar was relatively small. The recent increase in the retail price , was due to increases in the cost of raw sugar, freight, insurance, refining,, and storage. WELLINGTON CONTRIBUTION. WELLINGTON, September 18. At. 3 p.m. to-day cash received by the Wellington City Treasurer in response to the appeal of the Mayor for a contribution of £3OOO to the fund opened by the Lord Mayor of London for the relief of sufferers from German bombing, had reached £6922. The total is now expected to exceed £7OOO.