AGAIN BROKEN

Opotiki News, Volume III, Issue 315, 25 September 1940, Page 4

AGAIN BROKEN

■GERMAN WAVES AIR MARAUDERS BRITISH DEFENCE TOLL BOMBING OF LONDON .HOUSES DEMOLISHED DAMAGE IN COUNTIES (News by Cable.) LONDON, Sept. 23. Four separate, waves of German, bombers and fighters crossed the coast this morning. The British >n-ti-aircraft batteries and fighters broke up formations and the raid-' .ers broke off engagements and fled in disorder across the Channel. Two Messerschmitts of this formation were shot down and later four more German planes were destroyed. The Air Ministry states that 15 enemy aircraft are known to have been destroyed to-day. Eleven Royal Air Force fighters were lost but fhe pilots of seven arc safe.

There were three alarm signals during the day. The first occurred;,™ the. morning jyhen 200 raiders attempted to reach the city, but only got to the eastern outskirts. A lone raider caused the second alarm.

A new gigantic four-engined German bomber and three formations of nine bombers each crossed the Kent coast in the morning flying at a terrific height and outranging the anti-aircraft defences. Spitfires and Hurricanes broke up the formations and the giant was last seen speeding towards the Channel hotly pursued.

Seven refugees of d.fferent nationalities were killed and a number injured when a high-explosive bomb directly hit a large block of AVest End flats. They had been sheltering in a basement for only 20 minutes following the destruction of their own home 100 yards away by a time bomb.

Coastal towns were also attacked. Low-flying ra.ders bombed- a work-ing-class district of a south-eastern town and damaged 21 houses.

A passenger train was bombed and machine-gunned while standing in a south-east country station. Every window in the train was blown

out, but there were no casualties. Isolated Raids The Air Ministry announced Hiatal* activity in daylight was confined to isolated raids. A Kentish church -vas shattered by bombs.- It was the ’ourth church- in the district to be lemolisihed by bombs. The raiders caused further casualties in south-east towns in the afternoon. A raider dropped 12 high-explos-vc bombs on- Eastbourne’s working:)ass district. There were no deaths. A high German source estimates 'hat the Germans since August f 0 have dropped over 50,000,000 lb. of aombs on Britain, destroying or serously damaging 6000 factontes and ndustrial plants of which 1400 were 'll the London area.