LONDON BOMBED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24827, 25 February 1944, Page 3

LONDON BOMBED

PLANES ATTACK AGAIN 100 PIERCE DEFENCES iSHOWKKS OF INCKNDIAKIKS I , I,'ih'i! I 1 :ui p.m.) LONDON, Feb. -I London had another attack from the Luftwaffe last night.. At least four of the raiding bombers were brought down. As the first taidei flow in high from the south antiaircraft defences put up a curtain of gunfire. The barrage in some London districts seemed to be the heaviest yet. Although this latest raid appeared to be on a small scale and not so sharp as on the previous night, bombs were dropped in various parts of the London area. The bombs were mostly incendiaries which were unloaded in showers. Hundreds fell in one district, setting fire to a large block of flats, a garage, a factory and a number of houses. I'iremen fought, the 11 am or for more than two hours. Row of Houses oil Fire Priceless antiques and art treasures | from all over the world were destroyed in one district. hi another district houses on both sides of a street were alight for a distance of 200 yards. High explosives are j reported to have caused heavy casualI ties in another district. One bomb hit | a row of terraced houses • a wellI known London street. A number of houses were wrecked I bv bombs, and families buried. In one I house a husband, wife and three children. the youngest 'it whom was a month old. were buried beneath debris. All were rescued. Many people have been killed and rescue work for trappeo victims was still going on this mottling Fire-watchers in one London district saw a German airman bail out troni his damaged bomber. He was captured soon after. One of the four planes destroyed. a Dernier 217. crashed in hast Anglia and the crew was captured Increased Enemy Forces One nigh explosive narrowly missed one of London's most, famous buildinns. In one suburb desperate attempts are being made to reach some children | buried under one building. Already several bodies have been found, including those ot a woman and two children-. There is no doubt, that the German bomber force in north-west Europe has been appreciably augmented recently by bringing planes from other fronts and this has probably enabled the enemy to mount considerably heavier scale raids in the past five nights. It is elieved that about 175 enemy planes crossed the const and that approximately 100 reached London last night, which" was a slightly larger figure than on the previous two nights and the largest achieved since 10)1. New German Wedge Formation J liie raiders appeared to come in in I small numbers, living last and high. They released clusters of Hares before unloading their bombs. The Paris radio says the German bombers raiding London last night for the first time used a new oil bomb which is much more powerful than the old one A German news agency says the commanders of the German bomber formations are full of ideas built up during the last month and are putting them into operation The new forms of attack proved particularly effective against certain military objectives in the London arya "Wedge" tactics were also used to pierce London's heavy defences. During these tactics the planes How in wild goose formation. DAYLIGHT ALERT CROWDS WATCH TWO PLANES (Heed, 12. IS a.m.) LONDON. Feb 2-1 The first daylight alert in London for seven months was sounded as Londoners were going to work. Many stood in the streets and watched two unidentified planes fly over the city at a great height, leaving vapour trails. The planes were surrounded by white puffs Ironi anti-aircraft shells. The aviation correspondent ot the Pre«s Association says the enemy planes apparently eanu* over to photograph the damage flout' in last night's raid CRETE CONVOY BOMBED I/OX DO N, Feb t Middle Last aireralt made a success ful attack yesterday off M era k lion . Crete, <ni a ."it )!)()-t ij n merchant ship which was escorted by twO destroyers and enemy aircraft. Our planes made a. hole in the freighter amidships, and one destroyer was lelt in (lames They also accounted for three enemy aireralt. Last night Wellington bombers raided Hernklion Harbour and started fires. From these ami other operations six ol our aircraft are missing.