FIERCE RAID ON LONDON

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 137, 12 May 1941, Page 7

FIERCE RAID ON LONDON

FAMOUS BUILDINGS DAMAGED 33 NAZI RAIDERS BROUGHT DOWN LONDON, May 11. London, last night, experienced one of its greatest air raids, if not the greatest, since the war began, AAdien numerous historic and important buildings were damaged, including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Hall, the British Museum and Big Ben. Tremendous fires were caused, but the firefighting services again displayed great heroism. The enemy lost 33 machines, 29 of which fell to our n 'B'o rig-liters and the other four to anti-aircraft guns. For Hie first 10 days of this month the Germans have lost 124 aircraft and an estimated loss in skilled pilots of 500. . The debating chamber of the House of Commons is in ruins. Big Ben, which was hit by a bomb, still chimes the hour though its face is blackened and scarred. Seven men were killed in the House of Lords when endeavouring to put out a fire. Westminster Abbey is open to the sky, the roof in the centre of the building having fallen in. The most historic parts of the famous edifice, however, escaped destruction. The British Museum was set alight-by a stick of incendiary bombs. The R.A.F. night fighters, who included Free French and Czech pilots, chased,the raiders all over the moonlit sky and even pursued one as far as the Dutch coast.

AAVE-INSPTRIN G SCENE

The raiders were over London from shortly before midnight till nearly dawfi. They rained down thousands of incendiary bombs in the third, big attempt to set the capital on fire. London’s lire brigades took up the challenge and fought grimly. .I'ivc hospitals were hit, including a children’s hospital. In one district the raiders dropped high-explosives before the incendiaries in the hope of dislocating the fire lighting services, but the trick failed. An observer said it was the most awe-inspiring spectacle he had seen. Blazing buildings stood out in stark relief in places. The moon was blacked out by the smoke when the bombers roared down. Then the whole city became one huge glare of light. A roof watcher said he had witnessed all the raids on London and had never seen anything to equal this one. Soon after dawn people .came out of their shelters to see the firemen still playing their hoses on the debris. This morning’s Air Ministry communique says the raid was particularly heavy. Beports show that the number of casualties was high and that considerable damage was done. Outside London bombs were dropped at many

points, particularly in the south-east and East Anglia, where a small number • of people were reported to have been killed. Nowhere was the damage extensive.

A Press Association message says:— The German radio promised for last night the biggest raid ever made against London, and the beginning of it certainly seemed to live up to that promise. Many bombers arrived, raining down clusters of incendiaries and very heavy explosives. Householders declared that raiders swooped almost as low as their roof-tops. More and more inccnadiarics and explosives came down, and every gun in London seemed to be in action. The rapid onrush of raiders continued unabated, some dropping highexplosives first, presumably with the intentjon of intimidating the firefighters and Home Guards; however, the fire-engines sped through the streets regardless of the incessant hail of bombs. The brilliant moon became a mere pale circle in the brightness of the incendiaries. A bomb in a street market caused casualties and trapped those sheltering. Other bombs swayed large buildings. A residential district on the outskirts of London lias suffered badly. A direct hit on a warden’s post killed the chief warden and injured others, and an auxiliary fire-station was directly hit. Rescuers are searching for persons entombed in the debris. Numerous incendiaries fell in a south-east coastal town, but firewatching parties mostly extinguished the outbreak before the brigades arrived. Mortally wounded when German raiders swooped down and machinegunned a passenger train this evening. the driver halted the train and hacked to safety in a nearby station, assisted by the fireman, who was also wounded. The driver died in hospital. NIGHT OF HORROR.

Bombs were dropped but reports so far received indicate that no casualties were caused and no damage done.

The sound and fury of the bombing slackened considerably after five hours, but the night horror continued from building to building, and many were gutted. Each new blaze sent up fragments of blazing wood, some as big as a fist and some bigger, which were like a hellish snowfall drifting across the buildings, Jittering the streets and lodging in gables, starting fresh fires. The air was literally filled with fiery particles. 'The acrid aftermath of this wanton orgy reveals that at least two of Londons most loved churches, one of which is among the oldest, are mere shells, arid others are scarred. This latest attempt of Goering s vandals to wipe out London was a fiery blizzard of golden sparks, and the most awe-inspiring spectacle ever seen in the world’s greatest capital. It was in reality an inferno. Blazing buildings stood out in stark relief, tongues of flame leaped from the buildings which had survived the previous raids, arid through the gaping winflows fresh areas of wanton destruction were revealed. London was bathed in u golden glow. Si. Paul’s was silhouetted against the dawn as a witness to an outrage as dastard as any in this dastardly war

A shot which gave away its position led to the destruction of one of the German bombers. An R.A.F. pilot was on patrol, states the * Air Ministry News Service, when a burst of machinegun fire went over his plane and he began to search around for the firer. A second burst showed him the position of the enemy and he went in to attack After one burst he saw the raider spiralling toward the sea through! the clouds and dived after it, firing steadily. “The German bomber dived into the sea and the waterspout 1 caused hit my windscreen. I only just managed to avoid the sea myself when • this happened,” said the pilotAnother pilot reported that he • a. bonder which he sent into a dive earthwards. COMPARISON OF LOSSES. A British Official Wireless message sa vs : During, the week ended at dan n , on May 10 a record number o* German

aircraft for 1941 were shot clown over Britain—76 at night and 60 by day. No British aircraft were lost at nigiit and our day losses total nine, with four of the pilots sate. During the same period a naval ship was destroyed by one plane. NAZI DOSSES THIS YEAB. German losses during night raiding since the beginning of 1941 have been : January 15 February 15 March 47 April ... 90 May (so far) 127 Total 294 FRIDAY NIGHT’S RAIDS. The British Official AYireless states that German air activity over Britain slackened on Friday night. A communique states that it was on a muchreduced scale and that nowhere did a concentrated attack develop. There was some damage in one town in the north-west. Casualties throughout the country were not large, but a small number of people were killed. Three enemy bombers were destroyer by fighters. There was some activity by enemy fighters over the south-east of England I during the day on Saturday. No bombs were dropped but a train was machinegunned and some passengers were wounded. It is now known that a third enemy aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire on Thursday night, making a total i of 14 destroyed that night. “WE ARE WINNING.” The British Official Wireless states that the Minister of Lal>our (Air Bevin) in an address, said: "We lire on parade now. Never mind the croakers and j other people. We are winning, and winning every hour. All it needs now j is greater and greater production in order that we can meet Hitler on his own ground.” The Alin ister was addressing muni- j tions works trainees. Air Bevin recalled the fact that i nearly 90 enemy night-raiders were j brought down in the first few davs| of this month, and lie described tiiej present daylight immunity from air; attack as a great victory judged by I the situation as it appeared last year. ! Calling, for a greater industrial i effort, he said that when parity and j beyond had been obtained in every sphere of munitions he “could see the end of this business.” LONDON. A fay 12. I

Enemy aircraft were again over Britain last night. London had a brief alert and later several machines passed overhead.

A number of enemy aircraft approached from the South-East Coast and the Thames Estuary, and it is known that since the'raid began three have been shot down at various points.