SEVERE LOSSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24416, 30 September 1940, Page 5

SEVERE LOSSES

GERMAN RAIDERS ATTACKS ON ENGLAND DEFENCE TAKES HEAVY TOLL FINE WORK BY FIGHTERS (United Press Association) (Bv Electric- flegraph—Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 23. (Received Sept. 29, at 10 p.m.) A series of thrashings inflicted on the German Air Force yesterday resulted in 133 raiders being destroyed, compared with British losses of 34 planes and 18 pilots. The operations in which these enemy aircraft were brought down were described in a joint communique by the Air Ministry and Home Security Ministry, which says our fighters intercepted several enemy .attacks on the south of England to-day and inflicted severe losses, particularly in the neighbourhood of London. When a big wave of bombers tried to penetrate the capital's defences in the morning they were pounced upon by fighters. The ensuing battle was fought at a great altitude. The wrecks of three bombers now lie in Surre. villages. Two more riddled bombers crashed in Westminster.

Fresh waves of Germans kept appearing over the Channel, but the Royal Air Force's resistance became fiercer and fiercer as the day progressed, breaking up the German formations over the coast. Some of the raiders then turned their attention to seaside towns. Three raiders crashed near Canterbury during an air battle over Kent. Bomb Penetrates Shelter During the first daylight raid on London a bomb penetrated a section of a London factory's underground shelter in which many were sheltering, causing many casualties, including some fatally. 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. It is officially stated that 18 enemy planes were shot down in south-east England this morning. At least 10 raiders were shot down over London's breakfast tables when the Germans made a suidical 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. A few bombs fell in Central London and a number in the south and south-west districts. There was some damage to houses. 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 reports indicate that the damage and casualties Were slight. Outskirts of Bristol Attacked In the morning a force of enemy aircraft crossed Dorset and reached the outskirts of Bristol. They were heavily engaged by our fighters arid driven off. The reports so far indicate that the damage and casualties were not heavy. Later this afternoon enemy air-, craft crossed the south-east coast in force, but were again intercepted at a number of points and only a few reached the London area. The Berlin radio stated: " German planes dropped 251 tons of bombs pri London last night, and a further 141 tons on Liverpool, Birkenhead, and Southampton, causing Very heavy damage and enormous fires." To-day an artillery duel was fought across the Straits of Dover when British long-range guns replied to the German bombardment of Dover in the afternoon. " Battle of London " The third week of the " battle' of London " has come and gone. To thousands of Londoners these three weeks have meant death or mutilation of loved ones, and the destruction of 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 London's essential workers, remain in the capital, tempered by suffering to a resistance which is steel-like in the sharpness of its anger and the resilience and strength of its determination. Indeed, that is the mood throughout this island, based on the knowledge that the losses are far from one-sided.

Germany's three weeks of blitzbombing has cost her over 1000 planes, compared with 283 British and her losses of airmen are many times greater than ours. Germany's total losses of personnel at midnight on Friday 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 anti-aircraft 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 German Version The High Command states: "Yesterday we strongly bombed harbour equipment, docks, factories, power stations and gasworks in London, troop encampments in Southern England, and docks at Bristol. We directly hit an armament works in the Midlands. Long-range batteries again shelled Dover and damaged three merchantmen, two of which later sank AGerman fighter sank a 5000-ton convoyed merchantman to the North of Ireland. A few single enemy planes bombed Northwest Germany, but no damage was done .The enemy yesterday lost 101 planes. Thirty-eight of ours have not returned."