SUNDAY'S EARLY RAIDS

Grey River Argus, 10 September 1940, Page 5

SUNDAY'S EARLY RAIDS

Kent Damage LONDON'S TWO ALARMS. LONDON, September 8. London had two air-raid alarms to-day. The first, soon after midday, lasted for nearly an hour. The second began at 8.8 p.m. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique states: Since dawn this morning, enemy activity was negligible until shortly before mid-day, when a large force of enemy aircraft approached the coast north of Dover. They were promptly engaged by our fighters and anti-air-craft guns, and only a small formation was able to penetrate inland. These flew to the Thames Estuary, where they were dispersed and driven off.

Reports so far received show that, though bombs were dropped, they fell mostly in rural areas, and did little damage. In Kent, some houses and a railway station were hit, and a road was temporarily blocked. There was a small number of casualties, but only one person was killed. Three German bombers were shot down by-anti-aircraft fire. Three British fighters were lost but one pilot is known to be safe. ’ Air Raid Damage

GERMANS “DOCTOR” BRITISH REPORT. RUGBY, September 7. An example of German distortion is provided, in to-day’s trans-ocean rendering of an official British communique on Friday night's raids. Where the London communique meitions “road damage, causing temporary traffic diversion in some places, ' the. German rendering is. “roads impassible; the principal roads leading from London showing big bomb craters.” The communique added that “some damage was done to gas and water mains.” This becomes “whole districts in the capital are without gas or water.” Gratuitous German additions include the following completely untrue statements:— (1) That German broadcasts state one air port was fully ablaze; (2) that the 8.8. C. reported railway stations were bombed and embankments destroyed, and (3) that the havoc was so terrible that no communique was issued. The usual communique was, in fact, issued at 7.57 p.m.

Brave Poles BIG PART IN SATURDAY'S RAID, (Received September 9, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, September 8. Pilots own accounts of Saturday’s daylight air attack on London reveal the dashing part played by the Polish Squadron. Perfect timing between three fighter squadrons was said to be responsible for the smashing of a big enemy formation near East London. Of these three squadrons, the Polish Squadron Hurricanes got the largest bag. When the Poles arrived, about 40 Dornier bombers were flying at twenty thousand feet. Some distance behind, and above, was a small formation of Messerschmitts 110. Further behind still, at an even greater height, probably thirty thousand feet J were Messerschmitts 109. The lat-. ter were attacked by the Spitfires. I The Messerschmitts 110 did not seem to know what to do. One Hurricanes Squadron attacked the rear of the Dornier formation, which then turned east and provided the Polish Squadron with a first class target. | The Poles who had been flying in sections of three, one behind the other, strung round so that the whole' squadron was almost broadside on to the bombers. They dived down four thousand feet out of the sun to attack each member of the formation, each section choosing an individual target. A British pilot, praising the courage of the Poles, said: “They are tremendous fighters. Their enthusiasm is infectious. When they go tearing into the enemy bombers and fighters, they go so close that you would think they were going to collide.” |

One Pole, after shooting down two Dornier, was himself attacked and baled out over Essex. He landed safely near Roughton and rejoined the Squadron a few hours later. 1 Three of the Poles got two bombers each and a fourth got one bomber, and one fighter. In action with the Polish Squad-' ron was a Czechoslovak pilot who' flew his plane to Poland after tne invasion of his country by the Nazis. He fought in Poland last autumn ! and came to England with the squad-, ron. His Czechoslovak fellow countrymen were in the air over London with their own squadron at the same time, bringing down five Nazi, raiders.