SIX ALERTS

Evening Star, Issue 23701, 8 October 1940, Page 7

SIX ALERTS

DAY RAIDS ON LONDON FIGHTERS QUICKLY ON SCENE NAZIS SCATTER IN DISORDER Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, October 7. (Received October 8, at 11.20 a.m.! The Air Ministry’s forty-eighth casualty list contains 305 names, including 126 killed. 41 wounded, and 125 missing. London had six alerts during to-day. More thrilling air battles occurred during the morning, when several groups of German planes crossed the Kent coast. British fighters broke up their formations, which scattered in disorder. Anti-aircraft guns put up a lively barrage when the raiders tried to penetrate inland. One Junkers dive-bomber dropped high explosives on a Kent town, directly hitting a cottage. One was killed and several injured. A whistling bomb fell in a street in a Kent town. Twelve nuns were kneeling in prayer before an altar at a convent’s little chapel in a coast town in Kent when a raider dropped bombs which smashed 300 windows of the building, but no one was injured. Another bomb partly wrecked a sanatorium from which children had been evacuated. During the second alert in the morning raiders dropped 12 bombs on a South-east Loudon residential district and demolished two houses, from which two people were quickly extricated. It is feared that others are still under the debris. A shop and a warehouse were also wrecked and two were killed in another South-east London area. During the sixth alert in the late afternoon three planes were seen over Central London.

BEATEN BACK FROM CAPITAL. A strong attack was made on Britain to-day and repeated efforts to reach the metropolis were, beaten back by the R.A.E. An Air Ministry and Home Security communique states:—Considerable numbers of enemy aircraft attacked Britain during to-day. Five attacks have been attempted on London, totalling in all some 450 enemy aircraft. Large forces of our fighters engaged the enemy formations, which were broken up and dispersed. In only two of these attacks did any enemy aircraft succeed in penetrating the London area, and very few bombs were dropped. Reports received up to 5 p.m. show that, while several houses were demolished in South and East London, the casualties were not likely to be heavy, though they include some fatal injuries. During these attacks minor damage was also done to Eastbourne, Dover, and certain other towns in Kent, but few casualties are reported. Two attacks were also made on South-west England in the afternoon, but reports are not yet available. According to the latest information 28 enemy aircraft were shot down. * Fourteen British aircraft were lost, but six pilots are safe. UNUSUALLY QUIET NIGHT. London had its quiestest night since the blitzkrieg began. An alert before dawn, like that last evening, was bx-ief, and nothing was heard in the central districts. Night transport services operated normally. The shelters had their usual occupants, who feared a night visitation. People went went to work refreshed and cheerful. Brilliant sunshine followed a stormy night in the Straits of Dover. A mist veiled the French coast. SMALL NUMBER OF CASUALTIES DEBIT BALANCE FOR RAIDERS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 7. (Received October 8, at 10.10 a.m.) The relatively small number of casualties caused by enemy bombers was commented upon by the Minister of Health, Mr Malcolm MacDonald, in a broadcast address yesterday. Lord Croft, Under-Secretary for War, states that more German airmen were killed or captured in the last 12 weeks than all the civilians they killed in Britain in the same period. PATIENCE AND GOOD HUMOUR BRITISH CHARACTERISTICS EXEMPLIFIED LONDON, October 17. (Received October 8, at 11.30 a.m ) The Archbishop of Canterbury, in a snoech at the Canterbury Diocesan Con-

forence, said that about 200 ot the poorest people in Lambeth sheltered nightly in the old crypt under the chapel of Lambeth Palace. He added : “ I wish Hitler and Goering could see the astonishing patience, good humour, and even cheerfulness of those people in order to realise the futility of their aims. I sympathise with those made homeless, in some measure as a fellowsufferer, as I have been bombed out of my home in Lambeth.” ENEMY COMMUNIQUES LONDON. October 7. (Received October S, at 11.50 a.m.) A German communique says; London and numerous objectives of military importance in the south of England were effectively attacked yesterday and last night. An Italian communique says: A motor torpedo boat sank another enemy submarine. The British Air Force bombed Gallabat. Four people were killed and six wounded. The British also raided Massawa and Metemma. Three were killed and two wounded. A British submarine came to the surface near Savona and fired several shots, hitting some houses. One person was killed and six wounded. The military damage was slight.