STERLING DEFENCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 259, 30 September 1940, Page 2

STERLING DEFENCE

LONDON’S RING OF FIRE

HAIDERS BEATEN OFF

(United Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 29. The third week of the battle of London lias come and gone. To thousands of Londers these three weeks have meant death or mutilation of their loved ones and destruction of their homes and household treasures. Many of these have moved out to safer and quieter areas in which to carry on their part in the Empire’s battle. Hundreds of thousands of others, including all of London’s essential workers, remain in the capital, tempered by suffering to a resistance which is steel-like in its sharpness, its anger, its resilience and strength and determination. Indeed, that is the mood throughout this island, based on the knowledge that the losses are far from onesided. Germany’s three weeks of blitzbombing has cost her more than 1000 planes, compared with 283 British, and her losses in airmen have been many times ours.

Germany’s total losses of aircraft at midnight on Friday night were 4604 and Britain’s 1381.

Greater London’s anti-aircraft guns are now able to fire an average of more than one shell per second throughout the night. Britain’s antiaircraft guns could fire the entire . 1918 production in less than a month. London’s guns are capable night after night of keeping dozens of tons of metal continually bursting in the sky. The gunfire is chiefly of two classes: Firstly, groups of batteries put up a “pattern” of fire, forcing the bombers to sheer off to avoid destruction and preventing accurate bombing; secondly, the other batteries try to hit single machines or formations. The fire _is designed to “bracket” the enemy with groups of shells in front and behind, then plaster the correct area.

NAZIS’ BAD DAY

The series of thrashings inflicted on the Luftwaffe on Friday resulted in 133 of the raiders being destroyed, compared with British losses of 34 planes and 18 pilots. The day’s total brought the number of raiders des-

troyed So far this month to more than a thousand. Iho perfection to which members of the Auxiliary Fire Service have brought their work was evidenced during dozen of fires which were breaking out in all parts of London. All were quickly controlled, the firemen jumping in and out of blazing infernos regardless of their personal safety and nullifying the effects of incendiary bombs dropped in the poorer and more inflammable areas. Incendiaries were showered in the north London suburbs. A ■ public library in a north-west district was gutted and thousands of books were burnt. A warehouse was gutted in central. London. Four persons were killed in a.shelter in a south-western suburb.

There was considerable activity in other parts of the country. German fighters and bombers which crossed the Dorset coast came in two waves of at least 50 machines. They were attacked bv Spitfires and six were seen falling out of formation in flames. One re eeived a direct hit from an anti-aircraft shell and exploded in the air. Three crashed into the sea. DAMAGE . AT: NIGHT.

A communique by the Air Ministry and Ministry of "Home Security on Saturday morning stated: “Enemy air attacks during Friday night were again directed mainly against London, and bombs were dropped on many parts of the capital and suburbs and surrounding areas. “Damage was caused to houses, commercial and industrial premises and other buildings, but fires caused by incendiary bombs were all brought under control and most were quickly extinguished. A number of casualties are reported. “On the Merseyside some houses were damaged and a small number of casualties are reported. Bombs which fell in other part? of South Lancashire did very little damage. In several towns in the Midlands some damage was done to houses and buildings but the casualties were few. Bombs were also dropped in several districts between London and the South Coast and in certain areas in South-West England and some other localities. In all these areas the great majority of bombs did no harm, though in some few places houses were damaged, and the number of casualties reported from all these areas is small.

“At about nightfall last night a few bombs were dropped in East Scotland but -no damage or casualties are reported.” DAYLIGHT RAIDS REPULSED. ;

The enemy activity over Britain today, says' a British Official AVireless message, consisted of three main operations. A communique stated : “Early this morning and shortly after midday forces of enemy aircraft crossed the South-East Coast and attempted to reach London, but they were engaged by strong forces of our 'fighters and broken up.

“In the first of these attacks a few of the enemy penetrated to East London and a small number of bombs were dropped, but very little damage appears to have been done and the casualties reported ,are few. In the. second attack no enemy aircraft succeeded in reaching London, but several bombs were dropped on a South Coast town, where some houses were damaged, hut no casualties have been reported. “Later in the arternoou an enemy force approached the Portsmouth area, and they were immediately engaged by our fighters and driven off. There are no reports of any bombs having been dropped. Mr W. Davies, a workman who was seriously injured when the Royal Chapel at Buckingham Palace was bombed, has died in hospital.

ENEMY CLAIMS,

The German High Command’s communique states: “We yesterday strongly bombed harbour equipment, docks, factories, power stations, and gasworks in London, troop encampments in Southern England and docks in Bristol. We directly hit an armament works in the Midlands.

“Our long-range batteries again shelled Dover and damaged three merchantmen, two of which later sank. A German fighter sank a convoyed merchantman of 5000 tons north of Ireland. A few single enemy planes bombed the north-west of Germany but did no damage. The enemy yesterday lost 101 planes, and 38 of ours have not returned.” The Berlin correspondent of the British United Press says that officials simultaneously stated that the. respective losses of aircraft were 90 British and 42 German.

The German News Agency stated: “We successfully attacked England again yesterday, causing; great fires and explosions in London and sinking many ships in docks. Quays and warehouses on the Thames and also a sloop were considerably damaged. Strong formations attacked industrial targets in Derby, Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool. Two convoys en route to Liverpool in the Irish Sea were scattered. The harbours of Hull and Newcastle were heavily hit.”