NO CASUALTIES

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21202, 27 August 1940, Page 5

NO CASUALTIES

THE RAIDS ON LONDON SERIOUS DAMAGE TO CHURCH NAZI PLANES SHOT DOWN .United tress Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON. Aug. 26 It is now stated that no casualties, either in killed or injured, resulted from the bombs dropped on the City of London on Saturday night. Apart from the fire already announced severe damage was done to one of the city’s old churches, of which only the walls remain standing. The roof and stained-glass windows have gone. Shortly before midnight on Saturday a bomb from a raider caused a fire in a business section of London. Hundreds of firemen fought the blaze while the raider was still circling over them. The fire raged furiously for half an hour before it was brought under control. Home guards and police closed the approaches to the fire as the crowds, which emerged from shelters, surged around. Parachute Flares Dropped Until the evening, London had a day free of enemy raiders on Sunday, but with the coming of darkness two air raid warnings were sounded in the London area with a short interval between them. Bombs fell after parachute flares had been dropped by German aircraft in the second raid. Buses continued to run while the raiders were overhead, but extinguished their lights. No bombs fell on inner London, but raiders flew over at a great height. Raiders were over the south-east of England all night, and dropped screaming and incendiary bombs. No material damage was caused and there were no casualties. In one town in the Midlands enemy aircraft machine-gunned members of the fire brigade when they came out to extinguish a fire. Three bombs which fell in a thickly populated district in the south-west of England demolished two houses, trapping several people under the wreckage, but they were rescued by ambulance and demolition squads. Terrific Gunfire An important area in the northeast of England experienced an intensive air raid, lasting into the early hours of this morning. There were violent explosions, mostly on the outskirts of the town, punctuated by terrific gunfire from the ground. The total number of casualties in last night’s raids on Britain was small. Raiders which crossed the Dorset coast yesterday numbered 130, and 34 of them were shot down by British fighters in a fierce engagement. Many others received heavy punishment. Fifty-four raiders were shot down on Sunday—4B by fighters and six by anti-aircraft batteries. Thirteen British fighters are missing, but three of the pilots are safe. Nazis Lose 3253 Planes The Air Ministry states that since the outbreak of war the Germans have lost 3253 aeroplanes to midnight on August 23-24. The Italians lost 122 and the British 889, 20 of which were lost in the Middle East.