NIGHT OF TERROR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 December 1940, Page 5

NIGHT OF TERROR

LUFTWAFFE VENTS FURY ON LONDON Full Scale Blitz Attack

BOMBS CAUSE DAMAGE AND FIRES OVER WIDE AREA OF CAPITAL

(Press Association and British Official Wireless) (Received 10th December, 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, 9th December. 1 he raids on London last night extended over a wide area and as the night wore on it was evident that the Luftwaffe was concentrating its utmost fury on the capital. The attack reached full blitz proportions as midnight approached and was as fierce as anything since September. It was a real night of terror, and there was no relief even after midnight. More and more streets revealed the ravages of highexplosive bombs in wrecked buildings and the surfaces of the roads carpeted with broken glass. More frequently came the clanging of fire-bells as members of the Auxiliary Fire Services dashed through in the height of the “blitz” on their terrible errand. Ambulances sent glass splashing like water from the roadway to footpaths as they bore victims to the refuges. All London had gone to ground except the volunteer services, braving the utmost perils, and newspapermen and other night-workers who were carrying on in spite of the horror from the skies. A bomb hit an ambulance station, and it is now learned that high-explosive bombs hit seven hospitals, four churches, a convent, three vicarages, and also an A.R.P. post, causing casualties. A timebomb considerably damaged the nurses’ home at a children’s hospital. Soon after dusk to-night the Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security issued a communique on enemy air activities over Britain during the daylight hours in which it said: “There is nothing to report.”

An Air Ministry communique states that two German bombers were destroyed when heavy attacks were made, on London during the night. Considerable damage was done and many fires were started, but most of them were put out while the attack was still on. A number of people were killed and others were injured. Bombs were also dropped in districts between London and the coast, but the casualties there are stated to be not large. Over London, the Germans adopted the latest method of dropping flares first followed by incendiary bombs. One of the remarkable features of the raid was the speed with which the fires were put out. A.R.P. workers climbed to roof tops to get at the incendiaries while they were easy to deal with. Even so, many hundreds of these bombs started fires. London’s fire fighting services, however, excelled themselves, and comparatively few of the fires got a proper grip RANDOM BOMBING ADMITTED The ■'xplosive bombs were dropped indiscriminately. Even the German news agency makes no attempt to deny the indiscriminate bombing, and claims that whole blocks of houses were set on fire, while explosive bombs converted the burning houses into rubble. In view of the work of the firefighting services, this claim is nonsense. This morning London was carrying on as usual. Traffic was proceeding as normal, though many streets have scars from the raids. Tl\e German news agency says:— Our bombers converged on London and from all the aerodromes in Belgium and France. Informed circles in Berlin said the Luftwaffe used a new technique over London, which they termed the “silent attack.” German pilots said they caused numerous fires. One heavy bomb illuminated like day a busy area for 100 square yards as a dazzling flash preceded an ear-split-ting crash and the telltale rumble of falling masonry and reinforced concrete buildings rocked and windows ejected their glass across the roads to the sickening concussion of other heavy bombs. One of several high-explosive bombs in one London district fell near a building in which night-workers were blown off their chairs, lights were ex- , tinguished and papers scattered across the desks. Forty .bombs fell simultaneously in the same area. When a shelter was hit on the Thames Estuary those inside were trapped but were dug out. GERMAN BOMBING CLAIMS BERLIN, 9th December. Officials claim that 700 tons of explosives were dropped on London last night and 80,000 to 100,000 incendiary bombs.