LONDON GUNS BARK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 265, 7 October 1940, Page 7

LONDON GUNS BARK

TERRIFIC BARRAGE. RAIDERS’ HOT RECEPTION. (United Tress Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 6. Londoners Lad a long night of shattering gunfire and crashing bombs. Even people in the deepest shelters felt the violence of the anti-aircraft barrage, which many times seemed to be of greater intensity than hitherto experienced. The guns barked out almost immediately after the alert signal and continued sometimes for long periods. They were occasionally heard singly, but more, frequently in a sinister c'horus in which several- calibres could be distinguished.

_The official account says the enemy air attacks during the night were directed mainly against London and the adjacent areas. A few small-scale attacks of short duration were also made on some other parts of the country both last evening and last night. BUILDINGS DAMAGED. Dwelling houses, and commercial and industrial premises in London, and some surrounding - districts suffered damage. A number of fires were caused but many were quickly put out and all have been brought under control. A number of casualties, some fatal, are reported. Bombs were also dropped in places in the Eastern Counties and SouthEast England, and at a few points elsewhere. Houses and other buildings in some localities were destroyed or i damaged, but the number of casualties reported from all these areas is small. An enemy bomber was destroyed during the night. ' Fifty officers and men of the Fire Brigade and Auxiliary Fire Service lost their lives in fighting bomb fires in London in September, while SOI were injured, some seriously. The total plane losses to midnight on October 4 were:— British 1437 German •. ... ... Italian 211 Tip and run raiders, taking advantage of the low cloud, were active early to-day. Several crossed the coast, heading for London, but were, turned back by the anti-aircraft fire before reaching the centre of the city. Bombs are reported to have been dropped in south-western and south-eastern districts. j A few minutes before the first alert signal in the London area this morning British fighters intercepted enemy planes over a north-west area. There were single raiders over the outskirts of London again in the afternoon. BOMB STRIKES SHELTER.

: "When a salvo of seven bombs were dropped in East London early this morning one struck the tunnel of. a public shelter in which many had been sheltering all night and killed thi;ee women and two men.

The Air Ministry News Service says the Canadian Air Force squadron, also the Poles, participated in yesterday’s battles over Kent. One Polish squadron destroyed eight Messerechmitts. . A German communique again claims effective • bombing of docks, supply works, anus factories, and other .military targets in London and the south of England. It says that enemy attempts to penetrate Northern Germany were frustrated at the frontier area. Bombs were dropped on three German villages and on one town in Holland and caused several civilian casualties.

EMPIRE AIR SCHEME.

EXCELLENT PROGRESS.

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Oct. 5

Official figures which have' been issued supplement the day-to-day news of the war drive in every part,of tjie Empire, and particularly striking are the figures summarising the great Empire air plan. Of the 67 trainingschools planned in Canada, the main home of the scheme, more than 22 are already in operation and well ahead, of their schedule, and there are between 2000 and 3000 pupils for crews in training. There are also 16 supplementary schools. Of the 88 Canadian aerodromes 60 are new. The schools are to be staffed bv 40,000 men, and in three years the cost will be 607,000,000 Canadian dollars and the output will be 20,000 pilots and' crews yearly. V In Australia the intake of recruits to March, 1943, will be 57,000, and there will be 36 training schools when tne plan is in full operation. In New Zealand there will be full training of 900 pilots a year an m itial training of 2000 pilots and crews.

MODESTY OF V.C.

PILOT-OFFICER PRAISED

(British Official Wgesa . -Amongst the many congratulatory 'messages received by Sergeant Hanna on beml awarded the V.C. is one from the Lord Provost of his native city "'iSsinE the action which earned hiSX VS., Sergeant H»n»h s«»d “It seems, to me most of the mod min-ht to go to Pilot-Officer Connor. People don’t fully realise that whilst I was doing my best with the ffic the plane he was sitting op a^ ft .as cool as a cucumber taking no notice of the flames, which were only two or three feet away from him, «i the sounds of bullets which were e the. whizzing close to Ins head p JT the armour-plating just above in his broadcast said he was able to feel the heat of the fire, and I sure he must have done, so “This must have been yeiy hot, through it all he managed to pilot tee aircraft right out of the barrage a so that I was able to get on with mj pa of the iob without interference from heavy shells and tracer bullets.