AIRBLITZ SLACKENS

Evening Star, Issue 23699, 5 October 1940, Page 11

AIRBLITZ SLACKENS

NO LARGE-SCALE OFFENSIVE * RAIDERS OPERATING SINGLY MORNING ALMOST NORMAL IN LONDON LONDON, October 4. (Deceived October 5, at 11 a.m.) Enemy air activity has been on a .smaller scale, the weather conditions being very unfavourable. The attacks were almost entirely confined to the London area. A few bombs were also dropped in other parts of South-east England. There was little damage in the areas affected, and the number of casualties was very small. The night raiders fumbled about in the sky in a thick grey mist, clearly uncertain where they were. They dared not come down low iyid face the antiaircraft guns or the improved balloon barrage, which is now much higher.. Even parachute flares are useless under these conditions. This was the first occasion since the airblitz commenced that two “ all clears ” were sounded before dawn.

■ No large-scale enemy activity developed to-day, but during the morning and early afternoon, states an Air Ministry and Home Security bulletin, a number of single enemy aircraft, flying in cloud, scattered small nuffibers of bombs haphazardly, mainly over Southeast England. Some fell in bmlt-up areas, causing a certain number of casualties, including a few fatalities. As the result of an unusually early all-clear signal, London had almost a normal morning. Newspapers and milk were delivered earlier, and transport was more prompt. Crowds went to work with less difficulty. Two heavy bombs were dropped in central and north areas. Only one bomb was dropped on the south-east area. The latter demolished three houses, from 'which three bodies were recovered.

London to-day experienced the longest daylight warning, single planes continuing to circle overhead, mostly over the suburbs, where a number of incendiaries were dropped. Six raiders in the afternoon dive-bombed a south-east centre, directly hitting the front of an historic castle and demolishing two streets. Craters were left in several roadways. There were a number of fatalities.

A solitary bomber dropped two whistling bombs on a south-east coast town, smashing church windows and causing several fatal casualties.

Raiders in the morning dropped a number of explosives on the lower reaches of the Thames.

It is officially announced that an enemy bomber was shot down into the sea off the east coast this morning by fighters. A second bomber was shot down by our fighters early in the afternoon. \