PALACE HIT AGAIN

Evening Star, Issue 23682, 16 September 1940, Page 5

PALACE HIT AGAIN

BOMB PIERCES QUEEN’S APARTMENT RAIDER SHOT ID PIECES UNEXPLODED HIGH EXPLOSIVE REMOVED FROM ST. PAUL'S Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, September 15. (Received September 16, at 10.15 a.m.) A Sabbath peace descended on London in the morning. The calm was almost unnatural after days of sirens, gunfire, and bombing. Churchgoers went to services and holidaymakers to the country as if the days of peace were here again, for London had not had an alarm for eight hours, but at noon the first alarm was sounded and lasted for an hour. There were three more alarms during the afternoon, the “ All clear ” for the fourth time being given at 7.40 p.m. Buckingham Palace was again attacked with bombs during the noon raid. There were no casualties. It is officially stated that the Queen’s apartments were damaged by a bomb which failed to explode. Their Majesties were not present when the Palace was attacked. The raider which bombed the Palace was shot to pieces by Spitfires a few seconds later. Experts safely removed the high-ex-plosive bomb from the vicinity of St. Paul’s Cathedral. After six short day raids Londoners were most surprised and even, comically, a little resentful when the “ All clear ” sounded for the first time before dawn, upsetting the new routine of shelter life. The usual raids began shortly before midnight. London’s guns opened up violently. Apparently newly-placed batteries joined in the booming, which shook Loudon from end to end. Incendiaries began to fall in wide areas over London. The firing sometimes crashed continuously like the rolling of thunder. The planes were seemingly lower than usual, though they were facing the unknown terror of a new type of balloon which carries barrage cables considerably higher. It has already claimed at least one victim. As the “ airblitz ” entered its second week it was abvious that the spirit of Londoners, and, indeed, of Britons throughout the country is harder —tempered in the fire of German terrorisation. They are prepared for anything. It is officially announced that 18 enemy aircraft were shot down on September 14. Nine of our fighters were lost, but six pilots are safe. Enemy bombers intermittently attacked the London area last night. Bombs also fell in widely separated parts of England and Wales. A few enemy aircraft penetrated the central area of London. Most of the bombs dropped in suburbs and outlying districts. Blocks of houses were hit in two districts. Some damage was also caused in the City, where a fire started. It is now under control. Reports indicate that the damage and casualties in the London area are again less severe than in the earlier night attacks. High explosives damaged a town in tho Midlands. Several houses were ruined, and there was a small number of casualties, of which some were fatal.

FIERCE DOGFIGHTS FIFTY PLANES ENGAGE IN ONE BATTLE LONDON, September 15. (Received September 16, at 10.10 a.m.) At least SO planes were engaged in a dogfight over the Channel and London area during the second warning this afternoon. Watchers on roofs saw opposing planes curveting thousands of feet up and the fragments of two raiders, evidently blown to pieces by antiaircraft fire, falling from a great height. Screaming bombs fell in the southwest London area, where the raiders encountered violent anti-aircraft fire. Terrific bursts of anti-aircraft fire heralded the German noon raid. Fortyeight bombers and 24 Messerschmitts roared out of the thick clouds flying | over the Thames Estuary towards London. British fighters came from all directions. Thrilling dogfights followed. Two bombers were seen hurtling to their doom. The battle progressed in a south-westerly direction, then the raidors made for home. ' The bombing, which lasted some minutes, appeared frenzied. Whistling bombs and high explosives seemed to fall on one of the most exclusive residential areas. London's third warning followed the appearance of strong formations of German planes flying to London from the direction of the Thames Estuary. Observers in a south-east district said this was tho strongest force of raiders they had thus far seen. British fighters again engaged the Germans, many of whom were heard over the London area, where machine-gunning was clearly audible. FEW CASUALTIES BUT GOSTLY FOR RAIDERS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 15. (Received September 16, at 11.45 a.m.) An Air Ministry and Home Security communique states: This morning a large number of enemy aircraft crossed

THRILLING SPEGTAGLE NAZI BOMBER CRASHES BROUGHT DOWN IN HEART OF CITY (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 15. (Received September 16, at 10.50 a.m.) During the mid-morning air raid on the London area many people s‘aw a German bomber shot down over the middle of the city. When the raid warning had been on for about half an hour the sound of violent machine-gun fire could bo heard and high up in patches of clear blue sky between the clouds the silver flash of aircraft could be seen. A fierce engagement right over the heart of London was clearly proceeding. Watchers saw a Spitfire dive on to one of a flight of some 20 enemy bombers and almost at once a trail of black smoke was observed from the bomber’s tail. One of the crew jumped by parachute and immediately after the bomber went into a steep dive, burst into flames, and crashed in the forecourt at Victoria Station. After striking the ground nothing but a smouldering mass of wreckage was Jeft of it. Further reports state that a little later, when more machine-gun fire was heard, another big German machine was seen diving at a steep angle towards ground over the London area. The third air raid warning since midnight was sounded at 2.13 p.m. and lasted just over an hour, but the raiders failed to penetrate the Central Loudon area. V.VAW.*.%WAV.%VA

LONDON CHEERS CROWDS WATCH R.A.F. IN ACTION RAIDING PLANES LITERALLY SHOT TO PIECES LONDON, September 15. (Received September 16, at 12.35 p.m.) When the sound of dogfights was heard over London this afternoon air raid shelters were emptied faster than they were ever filled. Bombs, fire, shrapnel, and machineguns were completely forgotten. Cheers went up from every street when British fighter planes were seen literally tearing the raiding planes to pieces. When again driven underground at nightfall, people who had passively resisted the most murderous onslaught ever aimed on a civilian community had something tangible to grin about. They had seen with their own eyes a sample of the R.A.F.'s power, which was later expressed by the official bag for the day of at least 175 German planes. London's skyline is unchanged after a week in which the alarms totalled no fewer than 70 hours. The fact that it is still possible to use the hackneyed phrase: St. Paul's silhouetted against the sky " is not the least of Londoners' joys. The removal of the 500 lb time bomb is a major triumph. A large area arjund the famous cathedral had been roped off for days while the explosion, which might have done irreparable damage, was breathlessly awaited. No service was held in the morning for the first time for years. The authorities say it should be possible for life around the cathedral to return to normal to-morrow.

FLEEING NAZI AIRMEN BOMBS JETTISONED IN SOUTH-EAST LONDON, September 15. (Received September 16, at 12.50 p.m.) Some of the 400 German planes participating in attempts to reach London this afternoon jettisoned their bombs While fleeing back and did some damago in south-east England, High-explosive bombs demolished a row of houses in the London district, but there was not a single casualty among the occupants underground. Planes shot down over London fell alongside Victoria station, also Kennington and Streatham. A Spitfire made such a mess of another over St. James's Park that the fragments provided souvenirs for hundreds of people. One German who parachuted into a suburb began shouting "Kamarad!" before he reached the ground. The crowd of civilians waiting to receive him tore his parachute to pieces for souvenirs. NAZI MILITARY ZONE SOUTH-WEST COAST OF NORWAY STOCKHOLM, September 15. (Jieceived September 16, at 2 p.m.) The ' Dagens Nyheter's ' Oslo correspondent says Germany has created a vast military zone on the south-west coast of Norway. A large section of this area is reserved exclusively for German troops.

the coast near Dover in two waves. They were promptly met by strong formations of fighters and an air battle ensued. In the course of this raid two email enemy formations succeeded in penetrating to the London area, where houses were hit by bombs. Some fires broke out, and damage was done to gas and water mains. From preliminary reports it is clear that the number of casualties is small. At least 50 enemy aircraft were shot down in this raid.