LONDON RAIDED

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1940, Page 6

LONDON RAIDED

FOUR ALARMS ON:SUNDAY

(United'Press Association—By Electm Telegraph—Copyright).

(Received this day at 10.20 a.m.),

A Sabbath peace, descended on London, the m'drfiing being calm and unnatural, after days of sirens, gunfire,, and bombing. Churchgoers went to the services and holiday-makers to the country, as if £ day’s peace was here again, for London had not had an alarm for eight hours, but at noon the first- alarm sounded and. lasted an hour. Three more alarms took place during the afternoon, the s‘ail clear” for the fourth being given at 7.40 p.ni. AIR MINISTRY REPORT.

(Received this day at 11.45 a.m.) RUGBY, September 15

An Air Ministry and Ministry of Houle Security communique states: “.This- rivorniiig; a* largb number of enemy aircraft crossed the coast hear Rover; in tivo waves. They were 'promptly met. by strong, formations of ■fighters.- Atm air battle-ensued. 1m the course of this raid two small, enemy formations succeeded in penetrating the London, area where houses--were hit by bombs.- Some, fires- broke out. , Damage was done, to gas and water attains.. From preliminary reports, it is clear., that the number, of casualties was small. At least. 50 enemy aircraft .were shot down in this raid.”

LATEST TOTALS

LONDON, September 15

Tt is officially stated that 18 enemy aircraft were shot down on Saturday. Nine bf oiir fighters were lost, but .'six of the pilots are safe.

Ih past weeks; blitzb'ombiiig cost the 'Germans up to mid-hight on Friday 263 ’piano's; many of- which were bombers ’With multiple crews.

i Bfitain, ih tlie same time, lost 62 fdefehding.-fightefs, but many pilots and ■gunners-were saved. 1 Including.: the British raiders lost over Germany and the Germanoccupied, territories; the-British losseshave been, only 92 ’planes- per,; weekthroughout . the war. The . Germans since -the war began, have lost- 4150 ’planes,, the British 1244- ’planes, arid the-Italians 186. To these Air Ministry figures,-cover-: in.g. only- definitely destroyed ’planes, ; must be . added The, Admiralty announcement- of the destruction of at lerist 153 Germah and. Italian ’.plhhes.

SOME DAMAGE DONE. (Received this day at 1.0 p.m.). September 15. Some of the 400 German ’planes participating ih Attempts t'o reach London ih the after nob u, jettisoned tlieir bombs ,whe % flqgijig %‘k, am) dam-, age to,.south-east England.. A high-explosive bomb demolished a row of liouses ih a London district, but there was not a .single casualty, the oecupaht'S being underground. ’Planes shot down over London fell alongside Victoria Station, also at Kenhihgteh and Streatham.

A Spitfire made such a mess of anotlier over St.' Jrimes r Park tliat tWe fragments provided souvenirs for hum"di'ecl's of people. One German who parachuted into a SUbterb; began shouting “Kamarad” before lie readied the ground. A erbwd of Vciviliahs were waiting to - receivg 'him, and ; tore 1 His - par riehute to pieces f6r souvenirs;: