BLIND RAID

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1940, Page 7

BLIND RAID

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.

British Official Wireless.

NAZIS' SAVAGERY — 4 * INDISCRIMINATE ATTACK

LONDON DAMAGE SEVERE

Rugby, sept. a; "Reports of the damage caused in the attacks on London on Sunday night are not yet complete,*' states an Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique, "but some particulars can n.ow be given. "The attacks were severe and continued throughout the hours of darkness. Bombing was widespread over the London area and for the most part indiscriminate. The damage was heavy and comprised many targets of a non-military character, including three hospitals and two museums. "The number of casualties cannot at present be assessed, though as far as information is available it is not anticipated the numbqrs will exceed Saturday's figures. The casualties given for the attacks on that day are nc v found to be rather lower than was announced. According to present information 306 persons were killed and 133? seriously injured. Docks Bombarded. "Docks on both sides of the river were again subjected to a heavy and repeated bombardment with high explosive and incendiary bombs. A number of fires broke out. Many of these fires have been extinguished and all the remamder are now well in hand. "London once again has been the main objective of the enemy and its citizens have met the blind savagery of these latest night attacks with admirable courage and resource." Two streets in Central London suffered severe damage from a bomb which fell near a newspaper office situated in this area. A heavy bomb hit a block of tenement buildings and demolished 40 yards of the centre of the block. It is feared that residents are still buried within. , Incendiaries and high explosives falling in quick succession in clusters in another central London street severely damaged scores of shops, business premises. public houses and cafes. Flames were coming from the wreckage hours after the raid.

Eombing of Hospital. A road junction was damaged when heavy bombs burst, smashing property and damaging gas mains. Five young women are missing following the bombing of a hospital In Central London. Other people > were injured. The secretary stated that two top storeys, mainly nurses' quarters, were ruined. The windows of one ward were blown in. ■£he patients and nurses were splendid in their courage. The damage to one central London area extended over a quarter of a mile radius. Not a single property escaped damage. An lftstitution had all of its windows blown in but there was no panic among the 1400 inmates aged 60 to 100. Fifteen were injured. The worst effect in underground shelters was in an office building in Central London where many people were buried in shelters. of whom several were killed. It is believed they were trapped through one cornef falling in as the result of the terrific force of the explosion, which shattered the walls of neighbourlng buildings. Others became a hollow shell. Huge baulks of timber and other supports lay mingled with massive pieces of plaster and brlcks In a tangled mass of debrls. Cellar Caves I".

A cellar being used as a shelter caved in, burying the occupants, who subsequentiy were extricated. South-west London received a terrible pasting. especially between 2 and 4.30 a.m. Fires started earlier in the night brought back the raiders. Bombs fell with scarcely an intermission. One southwestern shelter received a direct hit. It is believed that many people were killed. An explosion fractured a gas main in a road, starting a fire which was Visible for a great distance. There was a scene of devastation at the comer of two London roads where a huge block of flats was badly damaged. Fire broke out. Ambulances were engaged for several hours taking casualties to hospital. A cinema adjoining was practically wrecked. The raiders after starting flres with incendiaries in a East London area tried to prevent fire-fighting by dropping screaming bombs. The flremen carried on coolly. ! Large areas in the East End were cor- ; doned" off this morning owing to the; danger of collapse of buildings. Gas es- ! caping from mains in some areas and | several loud' explosions in another area brought tired wardens back to duty but they discovered the explosions were due to delayed action bombs. Utility Services Damaged. Utility undertakings in the docks area were seriously damaged. Gas was cut off over a large district. Two screaming bombs which fell in the North London area struck residences, lifting several roofs bodily into the air. Passengers in a South London train watched a plane dropping bombs, after which the plane collided with a balloon. Both fell in flames. . The traln services are busily atxempting to return to normality but the services from the dock stations are suspended. Over 50 people were killed when an I aerial torpedo demolished an East Lon1 don block of flats. Rescue parties exI tricated 20 bodies. Seven people, including a mother and a father, their daughter and her child, were killed when a high explosive bomb hit a garden shelter in' south-east london. A dock area fire station was burned out when a bomb scored a direct hit. Notwithstanding the fires and damage. business in the docks area went on as usual. The docks to-day presented a surprisingly normal appearance. About 2500 people were transferred from a fir«-damaged East End district, and 800 from en area bordering the river. Mobilc cantccns are meeting immediate food rcquirements. "Evcryone has been splendid by providing food, taking in children and lending clothes," said a London County Council official. "The council is caring for those rendered homeless."