TERRORISM FAILS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 249, 18 September 1940, Page 8

TERRORISM FAILS

CHEERFUL LONDONERS.

YESTERDAY’S RAIDS.

(United Press Association —Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 1.27 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 17. Soon after 8 p.m. Londoners had their fifth air raid warning of the. day and heavy anti-aircraft gunfire was soon heard in Central London as well as' the suburban districts. Citizens, heartened by Mr Churchill's tribute to their courage, again settled down to a “Hitler night” with the adaptability for which the Cockney spirit is renowned. Every variety of communal amusement is now resorted to by neighbours sheltering together while “they are overhead,” and it is difficult for an onlooker to realise, in the words of a neutral observer, that the Germans fondly imagine they are terrorising these patient, cheerful and undaunted people. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique issued at 11 p.m. states: Enemy -activity was on a small scale on Tuesday until early in tho afternoon. Although bombs were dropped in widely scattered districts in South and SouthEast England, there was little* damage, but a small number of people were killed or injured in South-West London.

At Portsmouth a church and several houses were hit and a small number of people injured.

ENEMY SCATTERED

At about 3.15 p.m. several large waves of enemy aircraft crossed the coast of Kent flying in tlio direction of London, and a large force was dispatched to intercept the enemy. No major battle took place, but contact was made over Kent. The enemy promptly scattered and did not penetrate further inland than Maidstone. Present reports show so far that before the enemy reached safety our fighters destroyed five and two were shot down by anti-aircral't fire. It is now known that only eleven of our pilots were lost in Sunday’s air battles. .