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Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20917, 17 October 1942, Page 3

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R.A.F. BOMBERS HEAVY NIGHT ATTACK NAZIS SHOOT CHILDREN (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Noon) LONDON, Oct. 16. A strong force of Royal Air Force bambers last night attacked targets in the Rhineland. Eighteen of the bombers failed to return. The night’s targets included Cologne, Germany’s second largest city, which had not been visited since the first 1000-bomber raid in May devastated a large part of the city. This was the seventh night raid on Germany since the beginning of the month. The Berlin radio stated that the Royal Air Force last night aimlessly bombed,. Widely scattered localities in the Rhineland, causing slight damage. It was claimed that at least 21 of the raiders were shot down.

No enemy raiders were over Britain last night, but four Focke-Wulf aircraft attacking a south-western village this morning machine-gunned children in a school playground and injured some and also dropped bombs. Two were shot down.

A villager said that the Focke-Wulfs came very low and apparently deliberately machine-gunned toddlers in the school ground. A majority were infants. Four were sent to hospital. The village was very little damaged. Hit-and-run raiders early this morning machine-gunned and bombed a south-east coast town. Some damage was done but no casualties are reported.