NAZIS’ MOST SAVAGE ATTACKS

Southland Times, Issue 24237, 21 September 1940, Page 5

NAZIS’ MOST SAVAGE ATTACKS

Many observers regard Wednesday’s raid on London as the most savage yet. The Germans flew lower than ever and took suicidal chances, frenziedly endeavouring to pierce the vast and hellish curtain of fire around and over London. The raiders made no effort to seek out military objectives and sought only to unload their bombs as near as possible to the heart of the capital. The chief gain from this barbaric onslaught was damage to objects of world-wide historic interest and the devastation of private property. Their would-be “reprisals” have become expressions of blind fury at Britain’s resistance.

Two raiders fell with a terrific explosion in a south-west suburb. A stirring scene was enacted in Central London when a bomb set fire to a famous building. More than 1000 people sheltering in the vaults formed up like a battalion on parade and marched out in perfect order to nearby surface shelters.

An Air Ministry communique reports that the enemy scattered high explosives blindly over the capital. Some heavy-calibre bombs caused damage in many districts, but small dwellings in London and its suburbs were the main subject of the wanton attacks. Some houses were hit and wholly or partly demolished. RAIDERS IN CLOUDS A rainstorm broke over the Straits of Dover at sunset on Thursday when a strong south-westerly gale was lashing the cliffs. Fairly heavy seas were running and visibility was limited. Tonight’s London raiders met a blaze of searchlights over Kent and the Thames Estuary, but flying above the clouds they proceeded north attempting to come in to the city by a new path over the north-west suburbs. Clouds baffled

the searchlights which then suddenly went off as fighters roared up and attempted to seek out the raiders and divert them from their targets. Some raiders nevertheless penetrated the central area where the anti-aircraft barrage was as heavy as ever. The raiders dive-bombed and glide-bombed from low heights stirring the anti-air-craft guns into a new frenzy. An alert warning was given by the air raid sirens in London on Thursday night. The thirteenth consecutive visit to the capital by the Germans during the hours of darkness was greeted with customary calm. Most households in the suburbs having made all preparations were ready for as comfortable a night as possible in anticipation that the Germans would again demonstrate their own peculiarly brutal brand of warfare in senseless and indiscriminate bomb dropping on the homes of innocent citizens. Heavy anti-aircraft fire was immediately heard in the Central London area, but it is stated that lone German bombers were driven away. A few bombs were dropped in suburban districts in the early stage of the raid. Major-General C. J. B. Hay, C. 8., C.M.G., C.8.E., D. 5.0., who retired in 1937 after distinguished service with the Army in India and the Great War, and his wife were killed when a bomb last night crashed through the roof of a West End hotel and carried wreckage down several floors. The remainder of the 200 guests and staff were not hurt. Rescuers continued into the night digging in the debris for those buried as a result of damage when a bomb laden raider crashed on Wednesday night. Those trapped under a bombed school, which was the headquarters of the local Auxiliary Fire Service ambulance services, included nurses, fire girls and stretcher bearers.