GREAT BARRAGE ABOUND LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 23692, 27 September 1940, Page 7

GREAT BARRAGE ABOUND LONDON

RAIDERS TAKE NO CHANGES QUIETER NIGHT IN GENUAL ANEA Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, September 26. (Received September 27, at 11.30 a.m.) While Central London was relatively quieter last night, the outlying suburbs experienced the heaviest anti-aircraft barrage thus far. The crash of firing guns shook buildings 12 miles out. Churches were again hit by bombs. One hundred and forty people were taking refuge in the crypt of one southeast church when the walls crumbled down. The people came to the surface unhurt. Incendiaries and high explosives gave one south-west district the worst night yet. A hospital and a convent were among the sufferers. The convent students had been evacuated. Two wings were gutted. A direct hit fore away the seats of an underground trench shelter, and an entire family of five were killed, and there were a few other casualties among 100 other people in the shelter. London’s barrage was splashing the sky with metal ceaselessly for hours during the night while raiders were doing their utmost to reach the central area. The wisdom of millions who have readjusted their routine to enable winding up the day’s doings before dark was justified when guns blazed almost as soon as daylight left the sky. The raiders opened the nineteenth night’s attack with the usual battle with ground defences. They first attempted to come into Central London from the north-west and south. Single planes, apparently testing the guns’ vigilance, took no chance with the capital's mammoth battery, and flew higher than usual in an effort to evade the terrific response from below. Londoners underground felt the city shaking as the guns gave a hot reception to early scouts. Night raiders over Wales, the northwest, and Midlands dropped many bombs, particularly in a north-west town, which experienced its 121st raid since the outbreak of war. THIRTY-ONE ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 26. (Received September 27, at 1.15 p.m.) The Air Ministry announced to-night that at least 31 enemy planes were destroyed in raids on Britain to-day, including at least 16 bombers. Eight of our fighters are missing, but the pilots of three are safe. The majority of the German machines were destroyed in a half-hour battle off the Isle of Wight. RAIDERS ON TIME GREETED BY FIERCE BARRAGE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 26. (Received September 27, at 1.15 p.m.) The German raids on London commenced about the usual hour to-night. A number of bombs were drowned, but the fierce barrage prevented many machines from reaching the Central London area. It is reported that»twp oldestablished shops were among the buildings damaged. BERLIN'S REPORT (BERLIN, September 26. (Received September 27, at 11.40 a.m.) A communique says; The Luftwaffe continued' reprisals in southern England and London. Numerous hits were scored on military objectives, including a warship anchored off Plymouth. Both sides of the Thames were effectively bombed. The enemy continued its terrorising activity against German civilians. It caused no military damage either, in north and western Germany or in Berlin. However, again a number of civilians were killed and wounded. INNER TEMPLE HIT IN REGENT RAIDS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 26. (Received September 27, at 10.50 a.m.) Amongst the famous buildings hit in the recent indiscriminate Nazi raids on London is the Inner Temple which is one of the Four Inns of the Court. Besides the Middle'and Inner Temple halls, libraries and church, the Temple contains many buildings which house barristers’ chambers and forms a self-contained community.

It was tliis ancient settlement whicli inspired the plan of the famous Karl Marx Hoff in Vienna. It was an outstanding example of community settlement. Perhaps this was the reason why the Nazis included the Temple in their programme of London * “ military objectives.”-