FRENZIED GERMAN ATTACK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 256, 26 September 1940, Page 7

FRENZIED GERMAN ATTACK

CENTRAL LONDON STRUCK

Heavy damage and casualties

MANY BUILDINGS COLLAPSE

(United Press Association.—Copyright.—ltec. 9. a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 25

Soon after midnight Goering launched one of his most frenzied attacks yet on London. Sections of raiders sought out an important part of Central London, also a famous shopping area.

Tlie raiders first rained hundreds of incendiary bombs. They circled round the targets, and then dive-bombed. Swooping recklessly under the balloon barrage, they joined in a series of furious attacks. Valuable stained-glass windows were blown in at an historic Central London church. A bomb blew out the interior of a bank a few yards from, the church.

RING OF FIRES,

Fire bombs in Central London started a ring of fires within a radius of a quarter of a mil'e, six of which were blazing simultaneously, enveloping a college, business premises and furniture depositories in which were highly inflammable goods. Many nearby buildings were evacuated.

FAMOUS STREET RUINED. Eire fighters worked on through a * hail of shrapnel. Daylight found only the shells of buildings standing in one well-known street. The walls continued to collapse in clouds of dust, debris and smoke.

In a south-west suburb a line of three shops were wrecked, the adjoining three having been wrecked a few Slights ago.

A particularly heavy high-explo-sive bomb caused great damage and also many casualties in one of London’s most popular centres, while residential areas elsewhere were again damaged.

A number of people were killed or injured when what is believed to have been an aerial torpedo landed outside a restaurant, demolishing the hotel opposite and also shattering a number of buildings in the neighbourhood. The terrific blast was felt 400 yards away. The raiders later dropped incendiary bombs on dr near a famous - church built by Sir Christopher Wren, then, guided by the light, dropped several igh-explosive bombs.

HOSPITAL IN DANGER

Sixteen incendiaries fell on a North London hospital without causing casualties. -Several fires were quickly put out and little damage was done. The searchlights operated iri full force to-night when the raiders arrived over Central London. The guns fired heavily against a single • raider. Another raider dropped an orange flare, after which a high-explosive bomb crashed with a terrific roar in Central London. Bombs fell early in north, south-east and south-west London.

An Air Ministry communique says: “Thb enemy renewed his air attack at night. The London area was again the main objective, but bombs dropped in other parts of England, Scotland and Wales started fires, the majority of ■which were soon under control. Bombs damaged many buildings and several hospitals were again hit. The casualties are not yet known, but some were fatal. There were few casualties elsewhere. , ’ , , “In South-East England and also North Wales there were fires, some damage and fatalities. A similar report came from North-West England and East Scotland, where there was no material damage. The casualties are not known.” The raiders bombed Welsh towns over a wide area. . , . > Dense mists shrouded the Straits of Dover to-night. The sea was calm and there was a cloudless sky and a light north-westerly wind. ~