HEAVY BARRAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 257, 27 September 1940, Page 7

HEAVY BARRAGE

LONDONERS SHAKEN. MORE BOMB VICTIMS. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec 11 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 26 While Central London wap relatively quieter last night the outlying suburbs experienced the heaviest anti-aircraft barrage thus far. The crash of firing guns shook buildings 12 miles out. Churches were again hit by bombs, and 140 people were taking refuge in the crypt of one south-east church when the walls crumbled down. The people came to the surface unhurt. Incendiary and high-explosive bombs gave one south-west district its worst night yet. A hospital and a convent were among the sufferers. The convent students had been evacuated. Two wings were gutted. A direct hit tore away the seats of an underground trench shelter and an entire family of five were killed. There were a few other casualties among the hundred other people in the shelter. INNER TEMPLE HIT. Amongst the famous buildings hit in the recent indiscriminate Nazi raids on London is the Inner Temple, which is one of the four Inns of Court. Besides the Middle and Inner Temple halls, libraries, and church, the Temple contains many buildings which house the barristers’ chambers. The High Commissioners, including Mr W. J. Jordan, toured the bombed East End dock areas yesterday. NAZI FIGURES CONTRADICTED. A German High Command communique states: “Yesterday the enemy lost ten planes, eight of which were Spitfires. One of them was brought down by our naval anti-aircraft guns off the North Sea coast. Six of our own planes are missing.” The following authoritative comment is made in London: “With regard to the German figures for air losses, 26 German machines were in fact shot down yesterday, against four British machines, with three pilots safe. In consequence, the German losses in trained pilots and air crews compared with the British personnel losses amounted to no lees than 70 to 1.” BERLIN REPORT. A Berlin communique states: The Luftwaffe continued its reprisals on Southern England and London. Numerous hits were scored on military objectives, including a warship anciiored off Plymouth. Both sides of the Thames were effectively bombed. The enemy continued his terrorising activity against German civilians, but caused no military damage either m North and Western Germany or Berlin. However, again there were a number of dead and wounded among civilians.