RAIDS ON LONDON

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1940, Page 5

RAIDS ON LONDON

A GREAT BARRAGE

WEDNESDAY’S ATTACK,

(United Press Association Pei Electric Telegraph (Jopj right)

LONDON, September 11.

Enemy bombs rained on a section of London during a second raid (Wednesday). Apparently when British fighter planes headed bombers from the centre of London . they unloosed their bombs indiscriminately. The battle raged, from the coast to tne Thames Estuary, and back again. Darkness enabled forces .of the invaders to penetrate the London area, which;soon reverberated to gunfire and the exploding of bombs.

The Germans opened their attack about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Witliing a jCew minutes, two formations, totalling 275 enemy bombers and'fighters,. crossed the coast. the bulk of these raiders immediately headed for London; Apparently they were making for the docks. But only a small portion of. them got through. The rest were scattered, and fled back across the Channel, after jettisoning their bombs, most of which fell in Surrey And Sussex woods.

Seven German raiders were at one time ringed by exploding shells. This' noise shook London but it was the almost cheerful noise of a. great 'citjy fighting back. Millions of tired, him greatly-cheered Londoners had now been listening for -hours to. a most amazing anti-aircraft barrage. Sleep had become impossible in all but the deep shelters. . . ... There was shrapnel incessantly raining on the London streets and buildings (foa- almost the whole width of the London area. Nobody ...now doubts the Hun met more than he bargained for oh his fifth night of murdering. Never -has such a wall of steel been, flung up in history.

The Germans appear to be. finding it most difficult to penetrate t the, barrage. Early in the morning they seemed to be using single fast machines which were coming over at ten-minute intervals in an effort to reach central London, but they all raced back whep they met a withering fire. On Wednesday the > German - raiders however became more active- as the night wore on. The bombs seemed to be as .numerous as the guns. • e >;

It is officially stated that reports up tio. midnight indicate that’^t*,- least ninety German raiders were destroyed.

AFTERNOON BOMBING.

LONDON September 11. The sirens sounded in London four times this the last occasion being at 8.42 p.m. Soon after the second warning, in mid-afternoon, heavy anti-aircraft batteries went into action against a large number of German planes, flying extremely high over London. Big forces tried to penetrate the defences. The thud of- bombs was heard, 'and thousands ofs-iells peppered the sky. It was one of the heaviest barrages of the war. Wave after wave of raiders broke against the fall of fire. The anti-air-craft guns suddenly ceased fife, and Spitfires then completed the dispersion of the raiders, after which the "all clear’’ notified Londoners that the defence had again been victorious. The German Force again lost nearly a quarter,of its raiders in a. two-hour air battle over London and south-east England on Wednesday afternoon. So fiercely did the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots (attack the enemy formations crossing the coast that only a small proportion of the bombers succeeded in reaching the London dock area, which was apparently the chief target. Anti-aircraft batteries along the Thames are believed to -have shot down several, German planes. This means that the German Air Command lost nearly 200 more 'airmen.

THE MAIN TARGET.

LONDON, September 12

The enemy air attacks on Wednesday night were less effective than any of those since Friday. The London area was subject to the majority of these attacks. The enemy, as customarily, dropped many bombs at random over widely separated districts in the capital. The main force of his' offensive was directed against South London and its suburbs.

Formations of enemy bombers approached the London area shortly after dark. Waves of further planes followed all night-long. British anti-aircraft guns constantly and heavily barraged, preventing many fenemy bombers from reaching their objectives. High explosive and incendiary bombs started fires and hit many buildings, including two hospitals and same small factories.

A marked feature of the .raid was the number of incendiary bombs which A.R.P. wardens extinguished before they did harm. i"he number of persons killed and injured was probably jess than in any of the previous four nights. Outside the London area there was enemy activity. Although widespread it was relatively ineffective. Wednesday’s casualties are estimated at 18 killed and 280 injured. CZECH BOMBERS. (Received this day at 12 noon). LONDON, September 12. JJic Air Ministry news service stated