31 Raiders Down in Half an Hour

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 230, 28 September 1940, Page 7

31 Raiders Down in Half an Hour

Great Work by Polish And British Squadrons

BOMBERS CHEERED AS THEY SWEEP ACROSS CHANNEL

United Press Association—By Flectrlo

Telegraph—Copyright. Received Friday, 7.20 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 27.

The Air Ministry reveals that during a half-hour attack against Southampton one British ancl one Polish fighter squadron shot down all 31 Germans destroyed yesterday. Fifty Heinkei bombers heavily pro tected by fighters approached the Isle of Wight at a height of 16,000 ft. The Poles flying Hurricanes immediately attacked the bombers ana chased some across the Channel to France. Meanwhile nine Spitfires took on a further 30 bombers escort ed by fighters at a height of 3.4,000 feet and chased the attackers to sea after a series of thrilling encounters. Watchers on the English coas*. cheered relays of our bombers as they swept over the Channel to attac*. the invasion bases. The avalanche oi bombs lit up the sky on the French coast.

Raiders again kept up bombing throughout London all night. Central London was again comparatively quiet for the first few hours despite the occasional flaring up of gunfire and the explosion of bombs. A dis trict in North London received a bad pasting for a short period. High explosive bombs followed a number of flares destroying the maternity wing of a hospital. Other bombs razed houses and shops. Nearby incendiaries in the same area were swiftly put out and little damage was done. Many London areas experienced similar visitations.

A north-west town had the worst bombing since the outbreak of war. Night raiders also visited a south-

German guns on the French coast shelled Dover area, a man and woman being killed.