Most Frenzied Raid Yet on London

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 229, 27 September 1940, Page 7

Most Frenzied Raid Yet on London

Early Morning Bombing On Wednesday DEVASTATION IN WELL-KNOWN STREET United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyrigb t. LONDON, Sept. 25. Soon after midnight, Reichmarshal f Go e ring launched one of tho most frenzied air attacks jet made on London. Sections of the raiders sought out an important part of Central London and also a famous shopping area. They first rained down hundreds of incendi ary bombs and circled round their tar gets, and then dive-bombed, swooping recklessly under the balloon barrage, and joined in a scries of furiou> attacks. Valuable stained-glass windows were blown in at an historic Central London Church. A bomb blew out the interior pi a bank a few yards from the church. Firs bombs dropped iu Central London started a ring of fires within a radius of a quarter of & mile, six of which were blazing simultaneously, enveloping a college, business premise?,* and furniture depositories, in which there were highly-inflammable goods. ! Many nearby buildings were evacuated. Fire-fighters worked on through & hail of shrapnel. | Daylight found only the ehells of buildings standing on ono well-known street, and the walls continued to col- j lapse in clouds of dust, debris and smoke. In a south-west suburb, a lino of three ehopa were wrecked. The adjoining I three were wrecked a few nights ago. A particularly heavy high explosive bomb caused great damage and many casualties in one of London's most popular centres, while residential areas elsew*i«r»» a~ain damaged.

An Air Ministry communique concerning Tuesday night’s raids says: "The enemy renewed his air attack on Tuesday night. The London area was again the main objective, but bombs dropped in other parts of England, Scotland and Wales started fires, the majority of which were soon under control.

"Bombs damaged many buildings, and several hospitals were again hit. The casualties are not yet known, but some were fatal. There were few casualties elsewhere.

"In South-East England and also in North Wales, there were fires, some damage, and fatalities. A similar report has come from North-West England and East Scotland, where there was no material damage. The casualties are not known.” The German bombers concentrated on Central London early this morning. A number of people were killed or injured when what is believed to have been an aerial torpedo landed outside a restaurant, demolishing the hotel opposite and also shattering a number ol buildings in the neighbourhood. The terrific blast was felt 400 yards away. The raiders later dropped incendiary bombs on or near a famous Sir Christopher Wren church, and then, guided by the light, dropped several high-ex-plosive bombs.

Sixteen incendiary bombs fell on a North London hospital, without causing casualties. Several fires were quickly put out and little damage was done. The searchlights operated in full force on Tuesday night when the raiders arrived over Central London. The guns fired heavily against a single raider. Another raider dropped an orange flare, after which a high-explosive bomb crashed with a terrific roar in Central London. Bombs fell early in north, south-east and south-west London. The raiders bombed Welsh towns over a wide area.

The banks have decided to remain open during air raids. A message from New York says that the Associated Press of America announced to-day that it believed the buildings housing its London office were struck during the night raids. Members of the staff were not injured, but they had sent a message advising that they were operating temporarily under extreme difficulty. Communication was cut off for 47 minutes.

Selfridge’s, in the West End, is among several departmental stores yrhich have suffered damage in the course of recent enemy night bombing. An Indian students’ hostel also hat been damaged.