DISTORTED CLAIMS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 246, 16 September 1940, Page 7

DISTORTED CLAIMS.

GERMAN STATEMENTS. LONDON, Sept. 14. “About 2000 tons of bombs have been dropped in London during tho week and tlie Luftwaffe can bo well satisfied with the results,” states an official spokesman in Berlin. “London must now choose between the fate ol : Warsaw or that of Paris. “The weather, which was once England’s ally, has become her enemy,” he continued. “It is conservatively estimated that 24 big London docks have been burned to the ground in the last week, and in spite of the denials, foodstuffs are running short. The socalled voluntary evacuation is steadily grownng, and is straining the transport system, which is already disorganised. London’s armament industry is reduced to a fraction of its former output. Docks, including the Canada Dock, and an area westward of the East India Docks, were heavily bombed last night. Our pilots are all agreed that there has been a reorganisation of London’s aircraft defences, but the restriction of the searchlights has helped them. The Times correspondent on the German frontier reports that the German newspapers announce that 5500 persons have been killed in London raids, and proclaim that the responsibility tor this rests with Mr Churchill, 1 It is also officially claimed that oil and petrol tanks were bombed near Buckingham Palace, and also the Cunliffe Owen aircraft factory in Southampton, where production would be held up for a lew months. A .nearby aeronautical research factory specialising in long-range bombers was likewise bombed. A German High Command report states: “Our bombers yesterday again attacked London and achieved numerous hits on docks, warehouses and factories, starting fires. We also effectively bombed areodronies, industrial plants, harbours and railways in the south-east of England. The enemy bombed areas in Belgium, Holland and France, but did insignificant damage. The enemy lost eight planes yesterday and two of ours are missing. “British planes flying over Germany during the night failed to reach their targets. They dropped a few bombs in residential quarters, and also in a village, causing little material damage.”