ENEMY RAIDERS HAMMERED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 258, 28 September 1940, Page 7

ENEMY RAIDERS HAMMERED

GREAT TOLL BY R.A.F.

NAZIS LOSE 130 PLANES

BATTLES OVER BRITAIN

(United Press Association.—Copyright.— -Pec. 11 a.m.)

Official Wireless.) , RUGBY, Sept; 27

The Air Ministry announces that 130 enemy aircraft were shot down to-day. Thirty-four of our fighters are missing, but the pilots of fifteen are safe.

■ The operations in which these enemy aircraft were brought down are described in a joint communique by.the Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security, which says that fighters intercepted several enemy attacks on the South of England to-day and inflicted severe fosses, particularly in the neighbourhood of London.

FIRES CONTROLLED.

Two of these attacks were made on London this morning and the third early in the afternoon. A few bombs fell in Central London and a number in the south and south-west districts. Some damage to houses was caused, and two fires were quickly brought under control. In- South London an industrial building was hit and a number of casualties resulted, some being fatal. Bombs were also dropped in several places in Kent and Essex, but the reports of damage and casualties are elight. HEAVILY ENGAGED. In- the morning a force of enemy aircraft crossed the Dorset coast and reached the outskirts of Bristol. They were heavily engaged by fighters -and driven off. Reports so far indicate that the damage and casualties were not heavy. Later this afternoon enemy aircraft crossed the South-East Coast” in force, but were again intercepted at a number of points, and only a few reached the London area.

It is officially stated that 18 enemy planes were shot down in South-East England this morning. Two of our fighters were lost, one pilot being ■afe.

At least ten raiders were shot down over London’s breakfast tables when the Germans made a suicidal attempt at a daylight raid, which began less than four hours after the conclusion of the usual night onslaught. It ended quickly and disastrously for the Germans. One crashed in _ the city and three came down in. a south-west district.

When a big wave of bombers tried to penetrate the capital’s defences this morning they were pounced upon by fighters. The'ensuing battle was fought at a great altitude. The wrecks of three bombers now lie in Surrey villages and two more riddled bombers crashed in Westminster.

Fresh waves of Germans kept appearing over the Channel, but the R.A.F.’s resistance became fiercer and fiercer as the day progressed, breaking up the German formation over the coast. Some raiders then turned their attention to seaside towns. Three raiders crashed near Canterbury during an air battle over Kent.

During -the first daylight raid on London a bomb'penetrated a section of London factories’ underground shelter in which many were sheltering, causing many casualties, including some fatal. Other buildings were battered in this district. In the afternoon the defences kept the enemy planes at such a respectful height as to make them almost invisible. . There were six daylight raids to-day. An artillery duel was fought across the Straits of Dover when the British long-range guns replied to the German bombardment of Dover in- the afternoon. THURSDAY’S ENEMY LOSSES. Altogether 34 enemy planes were destroyed on Thursday. The Berlin radio stated that German planes dropped 251 tons of bombs cm London last night and a further 141 tons on Liverpool, Birkenhead, and Southampton, causing very heavy damage and enormous fires. A Berlin communique claims that the air force caused great destruction to important military objectives in London, the South of England, and the Midlands yesterday and at night, and also bombed a convoy off the Scottish coast, setting fire to two ships. J.he communique soys the enemy last night weaklv bombed Belgium, Holland Northern France, and North-west Germany. No military damage was done.