RAIDS’ THIRD WEEK

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1940, Page 7

RAIDS’ THIRD WEEK

LONDON AGAIN ATTACKED DAMAGE NOT EXTENSIVE FIRES SOON EXTINGUISHED [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

LONDON, September 22. The “blitz-bombing” of London entered the third week last night with' unabated fury, with the blast from guns and bombs shortly after nightfall. There was the now familiar scene of completely empty streets and a sky lit by flashes and shaken by heavy detonations. The raid began after a brief preliminary in which 60 to 70 raiders attempted to fly up the Thames Estuary. Some penetrated to the western and south-western suburbs and dropped bombs. Another batch of 50; Messerschmitts on the south-east I coast turned tail without showing i fight on the appearance of Hurricanes. The raiders in London’s second j raid seemed to come from several j directions. Their bombs started fires, all of which were put out within an I hour. A raider is believed to have exploded in mid-air over the western suburbs.

Night raids were extensive over south-east England. Bombers raided 20 towns and villages and also attacked a number of north-eastern towns. , Other raiders visited the south-west and north-west. The bombing in the south-east was haphazard, ,and all the bombs fell wide of targets. A few houses were damaged.

- This morning was quiet in London, and at mid-day there had been no sign of enemy aircraft since the last German bombers went away before dawn.

The Air Ministry stated that until late last evening there were only raids by single aeroplanes and small groups-attacking the south-east coast of England. In east London bombs hit an industrial building. There were some casualties. Raiders approached London shortly before noon yesterday, but did not penetrate beyond the outskirts. Bombs fell in Surrey, Sussex, and Essex. Little damage was caused, and there were few casualties. A bomber was shot down in the afternoon. The Germans inflicted fewer casualties in Friday night’s two fourhour raids than on previous nights. It is reported that a church hall and a factory in central London were set on fire. Ten fires observed in a . south London district were all extinguished and not a glimmer of light was left to guide the Germans when they returned after midnight. 1 • Eight bombs fell on Friday night; in residential districts of north London. Almost a whole street was] wrecked in south-west London. Rescuers were still working at dawn when they extricated 10 persons from the debris of one building. Two were killed and eight seriously injured. Bombs in the East End yesterday morning killed a number of persons going to work. MORE FIRES AND CASUALTIES. RUGBY, September 22. An Air Ministry and Home Security Ministry communique states: The attack made shortly before dark on Saturday evening, in south-east England, was not heavy. A few bombs were dropped in the south-west, on, the outskirts of the London area, > and at a few places in Kent and Sus- ' sex. The damage was slight, and no casualties are reported. | It is now known that a second enemy bomber was shot down by our fighters, yesterday afternoon. Our j fighters suffered no loss during thej day. x- -x By night, the enemy activity was somewhat more widespread than on the previous nights, though London was again the . principal . objective. . Bombs were dropped in several parts of the capital, and once more the attack was heaviest in eastern and southern districts. A town in northwest England was also attacked. In these two areas, houses were destroyed and damaged, and fires were ' started. Most of them were quickly ■ brought under control, and it was I largely due to the work of the fire < services that the damage caused was - not more serious. There have been ; a number of casualties, some fatal. In south-east England, outside the 1 London area, a number of houses 1 were destroyed by bombs, and some < casualties were caused, one of which 1 was fatal. Elsewhere, little damage < has been reported. i

YESTERDAY’S ACTIVITIES RUGBY, September 22. An Air Ministry and Home Securiay communique states: There has been no enemy air activity on a large scale this (Sunday) morning, although isolated aircraft crossed the east and south coasts from time to time. Some of these penetrated inland over East Anglia. A few reached London. Bombs were dropped in country districts of East Anglia, Hampshire and Kent. In two towns in Sussex, and in the north-west and south-east districts of London a number of houses were hit, and some damaged. Damage was caused to gas and water mainsA small number of people have been reported killed or injured. One enemy bomber was shot down during the day. GERMAN VERSION. ' BERLIN, September 22. A communique states that the revenge raids on Britain continued. London was again the chief objective. Many military objectives were bombed. Big fires were started in the vicinity of the Royal Albert Docks and West India Docks. We bombed various aerodromes, military camps, and harbours on the east and south coasts. The enemy again failed to penetrate German territory, except for a few bombs dropped on the French-Belgian coasts. , ■ ■ QUEEN’S CONCERN V ■. RUGBY, September 21/ I The Queen’s deep interest in the welfare of refugees who now are accommodated in Windsor, owing to the destruction of their homes, was demonstrated again to-day when- she visited women in their billets and in 1 church .and school halls. Last week. Her. Majesty sgnt furniture, zfrom the " "/'■■ ) ' '

(Royal household for their use and, i 'to-day; on noticing a number of young ; mothers carrying their babies, she remarked on the shortage of perambulators, and observed: “We shall have to see what can be done about that.” INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING. “WILL NEVER WIN WAR.” RUGBY, September 21. The military uselessness of haphazard bombing was emphasised by the Minister of Economic Warfare, i Doctor Hugh Dalton, to-day, speaking I ‘to his constituents at Bishop Auckland. Dr. Dalton said: “Indiscriminate bombipg of civilian population will never win the war. On the contrary,, from a military point of view, it is a stupid waste of good bombs.j While Hitler is destroying workers’ homes, children’s hospitals, drapers’ stores, co-operative stores, and public buildings, the R.A.F. is concentrating on hitting invasion ports, barges, aircraft, factories, and oil plants. We are destroying Hitler’s power to wage j war. He is only increasing our will! to fight on till decisive victory has ' been won. As Minister of Economic! ; Warfare, I often rejoice as the R.A.F. i bomb particular objectives in Ger- j many, such as synthetic oil plants, I and oil refineries. Our airmen never fail to respond magnificently. The I spirit of our people is wonderful. Their courage and indifference to danger is a continual inspiration. When victory comes and the enemy’s power has been utterly broken, many old ideas and old’ prejudices will also have been bombed and burnt away. ' Those who have survived must bring | ( a new world order, and bring social justice to this Island. Before these . things can be, we must win the war.” ,

QUESTION OF REPRISALS. ' RUGBY, September 21. “The Government is determined that, come what may, an adequate supply of essential foodstuffs shall be available in. London at prices which the . poorer classes can afford. We are already subsidising bread, meat, and bacon to the tune of over £1.000,000 a week,” said Mr. Robert Boothby (Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food) in a speech at Manchester. Replying to a demand for sterner bombing of Berlin, in reprisal for the attacks on London, Mr. Boothby declared: “The Nazis don’t care a damn for the civilian population of Germany. Hitler, Goering and company stuck at nothing in their rise to power, not even the murder of their friends, so why should they stick at the mass murder of their enemies? There is only one answer—to hit them back where it hurts most. This the R.A.F. is doing.”

COMPARATIVE LOSSES. (Received September 23, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, September 22. 5 The Germans, in the week ended I at midnight on September 20, lost ’ 280 planes. Britain lost 69, including s 12 bombers over Germany and the I I occupied areas. Italy lost 11. , 1 The respective losses during the ‘ 1 war are now: Germany 4385, Britain 3 1313, Italy 197. 1 SWISS PRESS TRIBUTE r r | RUGBY, September 21. 2 1 A Press message from Zurich gives an extract from a despatch published 3 in the “Neue Zuricher” from its Lon--1 don correspondent, in which he de--1 scribes what he had seen of London ‘ under repeated German night bomb- ’ ing. He says: “The calm courage of i the people of London deserves the highest admiration. Even among t those suffering most, one can rarely . hear complaints. One consoles an- ; other, and the willingness to help one r another and to share possessions re- ; gardless of class distinctions, is wonj derful to see. The attitude of the • Londoners is all the more admirable l as they realise that the air raids are likely to continue, and that they may j become worse. They realise that ; they must stay at their posts, air raids s or no air raids. They are proud to l bear the brunt of the fighting, and to • show the world that the British will not be terrorised by German methods. I myself am convinced Britain’s war industry has not been affected, and that the air attacks on London have no military object.”