RAIDS ON LONDON

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 244, 12 September 1940, Page 8

RAIDS ON LONDON

LESS SEVERE ON TUESDAY. ■ TOLL ON NAZI PLANES. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (Rcc. 1.40 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 12. In Tuesday nights enemy activity over London, although much damage was done to private properties, it was less than the previous night and the casualties were very much less severe, according to the Ministry ot Home Security. Incendiary bombs caused many fires, but only one major lire was caused and all were soon brought under control. Full reports of the casualties are not yet available but 18 people are known to have been killed and 280 injured in the London area. Several casualties on Monday night make the total now reported to be in the neighbourhood of 400 killed and ■ 1400 injured, the majority of fatalities occurring when an elementary school in the East End of London affording temporary shelter for families whose homes were destroyed was Hit and collapsed.

The German force again lost nearly a quarter of its raiders in a two hour air battle over London and South-East England on Wednesday afternoon. So fiercely did the Spitlire and Hurricane pilots attack the enemy formations crossing the coast that only a small proportion of bombers succeeded in reaching the London dock area, which was apparently the chief target.

Of 73 German raiders the destruction of which by Fighter Command pilots was ascertained up to 7.30 p.m. on 'Wednesday, 43 were bombers, 19 fighter-bombers and eleven fighters. A-ii ti-uircra it batteries along the Thames are also believed to have shot down several. This means the German air command lost nearly -200 more airmen.

The German News Agency announces that at 2 p.m. a German pilot reported that fires were still raging in the oil depots at Thamcshaven, a greater part of which had been destroyed. Big fires were seen in the commercial West India Docks, also at Kensington near IJvde Park, and also at Regent’s Park.

A London message says terrific gunfire eclipsing everything so far throughout the raids was heard in Central London at the end of the first hour of the night raid. After bombing and shelling for several hours in the afternoon, the Dover area was again shelled and bombed at dusk. There were some casualties, including. a few dead. The town’s water supply was damaged.