GREAT BARRAGE

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1940, Page 7

GREAT BARRAGE

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.

L1TTLE DAMAGE IN RAI1) NAZIS SUFFER HEAVILY

Received 11 p.m. London, September 12. T,ONDON showed its teeth in the fifth night of German terror raids, and rounded off the great victory that had been scored against the enemy during the day. In a night that was the noisiest London has experienced, yet the most cheerful, because the noise was produced by the ground defences, the capital fought back at the raiders and won. All told, 91 German planes were destroyed in 24 hours. The raiders achieved less effect and caused fewer casuaities than on any of the previous four nights. The known casuaities are 18 killed and 280 injured, compared with figures many times greater for the previous nights. Damage, too, was far smaller. Two hospitals, small factories and houses were hit when the raiders dropped bombs at random over widely separated districts. Two night bombers were shot down. "Most of the bombs thus far dropped on London have ranged from 251b to 1001b, with a small percentage of 2501b bombs,' says an Air Ministry communique. "Some 10001b. bombs have been dropped on the docks. These are believed to be the hea\ iest types Germany possesses, but "they are considered uneconomical. Bond Street and the Burlington Arcade were damaged in last night's raids." A terrific barrage from guns of all calibre met the raiders, and London was rocked with the fury of the fight. No searchlights pierced the darkness, which was split only by the flashes of the guns and the streaming shells, which nonplussed theraiders. Shrapnel rained incessantly on streets and buildings almost throughout London. Nobody now doubts that the Hun met more than he bargained for on his fifth night of murdering. Never has such a wa 11 of steel been flung up in history. The Germans appeared to find it most difficult to penetrate the barrage. Early in the morning they seemed to be using single fast machines which were coming over at ten-minute intervals in an effoit to leach central London, but all raced back when they met the withering fire.

"Severe losses were inflicted on the enemy in yesterday's air battles," says an official communique. "Attacks which followed in the night were less effective than any of those since September 7. The London area was the subject of the majority of these attacks. The enemy, according to , custom, dropped many bombs at random over widely separated districts of the capital. The main force of his offensive was directed against south London and its suburbs. "Formations of enemy bombers approached the London area shortly after dark. Waves of further planes followed throughout the night. Our anti-aircraft batteries put up a constant and heavy barrage which prevented many of the enemy bombers from reaching their objectives. High explosive and incendiary bombs started fires and hit many buildings, including two hospitals and some small factories. A marked feature of the raid was the number of incendiaries which Air Raid Precautions wardens extinguished before they had done any harm. The number of persons killed and injured was probably less than on any of the previous four nights. Outside the London area enemy activity, although widespread, was relatively ineffective." Four Warnings Soundcd. Sirens sounded in London four times in the afternoon, the last occasion at 8.42 p.m. Soon after the second warning, in mid-afternoon, heavy anti-aircraft batteries went into action against a Large number of German planes flying extremely high over London. Big forces tried to penetrate the defences. Thethud of bombs was heard and thousands of shells peppered the sky. It was one of the heaviest barrages of the war. Wave after wave of raiders 'broke against the wall of fire. The anti-

aircraft guns suddenly ceased. Spitfires then completed the dispersal of the raiders. after which the all-clear signal notified Londoners that the defence was again victorious. The German air force again lostnearly a quarter of its raiders in the two-hour afternoon battle over London and the south-east of England. So fiercely did Spitfire and Hurricane pilots attack enemy formations crossing the coast that only a small proportion of the bombers succeeded in reaching the London dock area, which was apparently the chief target. It is confirmed that 89 German planes were destroyed yesterday, 80 being brought down by fighters and nine by anti-aircraft fire. Two more bombers fell to anti-aircraft fire at night. Twentyfour British planes were lost, but seven pilots are safe.