LONDON’S WORST RAID

Evening Star, Issue 23691, 26 September 1940, Page 9

LONDON’S WORST RAID

Frenzied Attack By Nazi Bombers Reckless Dives Under Balloon Barrage HEAVY DAMAGE AND MANY CASUALTIES Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, September 25. (Received September 26, at 9 a.m.) Soon after midnight Goering launched one of his most frenzied attacks yet on London. Sections of the raiders sought out an important part of Central London, also a famous shopping area. They first rained hundreds of incendiaries, circled round their targets, then dive-bombed, swooping recklessly under the galloon barrage, and joined in a series of furious attacks. Valuable stained glass windows were blown in at an historic Central London church. A bomb blew out the interior of a bank a few yards from the church. Eire bombs in Central London started a ring of fires within a radius of a-quarter ol a mile, six of which were blazing simultaneously, enveloping a college, business premises, and furniture depositories, in which were highly inflammable goods. Many nearby buildings were evacuated. Eire-figbters worked on through a hail of shrapnel. Daylight found only the shells of buildings standing. In one Well-known street walls continued to collapse in clouds ' of dust, debris, and smoke. In a south-west suburb a line of three shops was wrecked. The adjoining three were wrecked a few nights ago. A particularly heavy high-explosive bomb caused great damage, also many casualties, in one of London’s most populous centres, while residential areas elsewhere were again damaged.

AERIAL TORPEDO \ TERRIFIC BLAST FROM EXPLOSION KniMINEB ASSAULT UN CAPITAL LONDON, September 25. ’ -Bombers t concentrated on Central London early to-day, and a number of people were killed or injured when what is believed to have been an aerial torpedo landed outside a restaurant, demolishing an .hotel and shattering a number of buildings in the neighbourhood. The terrific blast was * felt 400yds away. Raiders later dropped incendiaries on or near a famous Wren church, and then, guided by tko light, dropped several high-explo-sira bombs. ' Sixteen incendiaries fell oa a North London hospital without causing casualties. Several fires were quickly put* but and little damage was done. Raiders bombed Welsh towns over a wide area. Dense mist shrouded the Straits of Dover to-night. The sea was calm, and there was a cloudless sky, with a light north-westerly wind; Searchlights operated in full force to-night when raiders arrived over Central London. Guns fired heavily against a single raider. Another raider dropped an orange flare, after which a high-ex-plosive bomb crashed with a terrific roar in- Central London. Bombs fell early in the north, southeast, and south-west of London. The banks have decided to remain open during air raids. ENEMY TACTICS HURRICANE SQUADNOH’S SUCCESS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 25. Received September 26, at 1.30 p.m.) Pilots of Spitfires of the Nizam of Hyderabad’s Squadron, who also destroyed five German raiders, spoke of the defensive circles formed by the Mesaerschmitt fighters when attacked. The bombers, on the other hand, kept to tight formations, and the Spitfires, diving on them out of the sun from 21,000 ft, had to stand a heavy crossfire from the German air gunners. Pilots of a Hurricane squadron, flying high above the clouds, chased a great formation of Heinkel Ill’s . from tlife mouth of the Severn well out into the Channel. They kept diving in line astern from 22,000 ft, picking off one Heinkel after another until they had destroyed six and seriously damaged other*. AMERICAN PRESS CFFICE HIT DURING NIGHT RAIDS NEW YORK, September 25. (Received September 26, at 10 a.m.) The Associated Press of America announced that it is believed the buildings housing its London office were struck during the night raids. The members of the staff were not injured but sent a message advising that they were operating temporarily under extreme difficulty. Communication was cut off for 47 minutes.

BRISTOL ATTACKED BOMBS DROPPED ON OUTSKIRTS ENEMY LOSES TWENTY-THREE PLANES .(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 25. (Received September 26, at 11.3 a.m.) A further Air Ministry communique issued at 8.45 p.m. stated: “ It is now known that 23 enemy aircraft were destroyed to-day, three by anti-aircraft fire. One of our fighters previously reported lost is safe, Our losses, therefore, are four fighter aircraft, the pilots of three of which are safe.” The following communique on daylight attacks by the German air force to-day was issued early this evening: “ Enemy aircraft crossed the Dorset coast to-day and attacked Bristol. Eombs were dropped near the coast and on the outskirts of Bristol, causing some damage and killing or injuring a number of people. “ There was also some minor enemy activity in South-east England, but reports indicate little damage and few casualties. The enemy was engaged by our fighters at all points, and 18 enemy aircraft, including at least 13. bombers, were shot down during these Operations.” After air fights over Bournemouth in the afternoon a German bomber crashed, setting fire to a house. Four of the crew of five were killed. Another bomber was brought down near Swanage. The five members of the crew baled out and were captured. Bombs fell in the South London area in to-day’s raid. URGE BOMBER FORMATIONS MANY BROUGHT DOWN BY R.A.F. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 25. (Received September 26, at 12.55 p.m.) Details given by the Air Ministry news service of the air battle taking place, mainly over the west of England, show that the proportion of German bombers destroyed was as heavy as in the attacks earlier in the month over London. The news service states that large German bomber formations were seen over England on Wednesday for the first time since the Luftwaffe’s defeat of September 15. In that battle over Loudon a very high proportion of bombers were destroyed, and, as shown by reports up to 7.30 to-night, at least 15 of the German planes brought down were heavy bombers and three others fighter-bombers. Twenty enemy pianos were shot down between Bristol and the English Channel by Spitfire -and Hurricane • pilots, and three were shot down by the antiaircraft guns. Four of our fighters are lost or missing, but three of the pilots are safe. Between 100 and 200 enemy bombers and fighters flew north-west in a variety of formations. Just before noon our fighter pilots saw two wedges of Junkers 88 bombers in tight arrowheads of three, 40 in each wedge. Messerschmitt 109’s were higher still, flying in steps, and the heavy Dornicr 17 and Heinkel 111 bombers kept the same close arrowhead formations. The Spitfire pilots of one squadron shot down five enemy planes and probably destroyed several more.