GERMAN ACCOUNT

Grey River Argus, 10 September 1940, Page 5

GERMAN ACCOUNT

Of the Big Raid LONDOhI DAMAGE. BERLIN, September 8. A communique states: Our Air Force again attacked objectives of special military and economic value in London on Saturday, with exceptionally strong forces, using the heaviest calibre bombs. These attacks were reprisals for the British night attacks on residential quarters and other non-military objectives. Marshal Goering is personally conducting the operations from North France.

A million kilogrammes of bombs of all calibres, thus far, have fallen on the harbour and industrial areas in the Thames, hitting and partially destroying quaysides, merchantmen, docks, warehouses, power, water and gasworks, also arsenals, factories, and traffic communications' Enormous conflagrations are raging in the vicinity of the docks. Powerful advance fighters fought a way for the bombers, which also attacked the large oil depots, the dock installations at Thameshaven, explosive factories at Chatham, and the aerodrome at Hawkinge. German bombers also raided industrial and harbour targets at Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, Southampton, Portsmouth, Portland, and ten other localities.

The News Agency threatened that London will be bombed by millions of pounds of bombs, while British night attacks continue against nonmilitary objectives. Marshal Goering said: A terrific attack is progressing against London. Hitler has entrusted me with the task of attacking the heart of the British Empire. Authorised sources state that 500 ’planes participated in Saturday’s raids on London. The News Agency says that the British assisted the Germans by playing searchlights among the barrage balloons, which the Germans were then able to avoid.

Mr Churchill VIEWS EAST END DAMAGE (Received September 10, 1.40 a.m.) LONDON, September 9. Mr Churchill toured the East End of London late on Sunday afternoon. He talked with homeless people there, and viewed the damage. He said he wanted first-hand news of the happenings. Hundreds of people cheered him in spite of their own troubles.

London. The total German losses for the day were 88 aeroplanes. Twenty-two British fighters are missing, but the pilots of eight are safe. GERMAN REPORTS. SATURDAY’S' RAIDS A REPRISAL. LONDON, September 8. A message from Berlin, while the raiders were doing their worst, said: “Military observers here agree that this is the beginning of the reprisals announced in Hitler’s speech.” The losses given in the German communique—94 British to 26 German—are in accordance with the familiar of giving figures which roughly reverse the actual re-' suit of air battles. The statement in the same communique, that they are attacks “on important military objectives of London”—in which it has been provisionally estimated by the Ministry of Home Security that about 400 civilian men, women and children were killed, and 1300 to 1400 injured—are a reprisal for those of the R.A.F. “on residental quarters and non-military objectives in the Reich,” must be supposed to represent a’ similar antithesis.