200 NAZI RAIDERS CHASED BACK HOME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 227, 24 September 1940, Page 7

200 NAZI RAIDERS CHASED BACK HOME.

ATTACK FAIIS. j Daylight Attempt To Bomb London. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Reed, noon.) LONDON, Sept. 23. Two hundred raiders in four formations tried to reach London by the Kent, Essex and Thames Estuary routes this morning. British fighters and anti-aircraft fire broke them up. j Ten are reported to have been shot down. There were three alert signals in London. The first occurred in the morning when the 200 raiders attempted to reach the city, but only got as far as the eastern outskirts. A lone raider caused the second alarm. A new gigantic four-eiigined German bomber and three formations of nine bombers each crossed the Kent coast this morning. Flying at a terrific height, they out-ranged the anti-aircraft guns. Spitfires and Hurricanes broke up the formations. The giant was last seen speeding towards the Channel hotly pursued. A raider dropped 12 high-explosive bombs on Eastbourne's working-class district. There were no deaths. Refugees Killed.

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

High explosives demolished a number of houses in north-west London. Coastal towns were also attacked.

A low-flying raider bombed a workingclass district in a south-eastern town and damaged 24 houses.

A passenger train was bombed and machine-gunned while standing at a south-east country station. Every window of the train was blown out, but there were no casualties.

The Air Ministry stated that eleven enemy aircraft were known to have been destroyed to-day. Eleven R.A.F. fighters were lost, but the pilots of seven were safe. Press messages which, await confirmation state that 15 enemy machines were destroyed.