LESS HEAVY

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1940, Page 7

LESS HEAVY

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.

GERMAN ATTACK DIMINUTION IN RAIDS STRONG BRITISH PATROL

Rec. 12.15 a.m. London, Sept. 15. After six short day raids Londoners were most surprised, and even comically a little resentful, when the all clear signal was sounded to-day for the first time before dawn, upsetting the new routine of shelter life. The usual raids began shortly before midnight, when London's guns opened up violently, apparently newly-placed batteries joining in the booming which shook the capital from end to end. Incendiary bombs began tp fall over wide areas of the London area. The firing sometimes crashcd continuously like rolling thunder. Enemy planes seemed to be lower than usual, though facing the unknown terror of a new type of balloon which carries barrage cables considerably higher and has already claimed at least one victim. Prepared for Anything. As the air blitzkrieg entered the second week it was obvious that the ^pirit of Londoners, indeed of Britons throughout the country, was harder— tempered in the fire of German terrorisation, they were prepared for anything. "Enemy bombers intermittently attacked the London area last night." said this morning's communique. "Bombs also fell in widely separated parts of England and of Wales. A few enemy aircraft penetrated the central area of London. but most of the bombs were dropped in the suburbs and in outlying.districts. Blocks of houses were hit in two districts. Some damage was caused in the city, where a fire was started which, however, is now under control. Reports indicate that the damage and casualties in the London area were again less severe than in the earlier night attacks. High explosives dafnaged a town in the Midlands. Several houses were ruined and there was a small number of casualties, of which some were fatal." Many Fighters Encounter Raiders. Never before have there been so many British fighters over London as yesterday afternoon, when thousands saw large formations race in from two directions to engage heavy concentrations of German bombers and fighters. British fighters had spent hours patrolling areas through which Germans were attempting to break throughout the day. They turned back 100 raiders during the first desperate attempt in the afternoon to get to London from the south coast, and the raiders scattered without drop->-\in rf Knmhs.

Two hundred Germans in a second afternoon raid engaged in the fiercest battle. Bombs fell in . a south-east . coastal town, hitting a cinema, killing ; four children and two adults"ftrtd''in- ! juring others. An air raid wardeh' and j a first-aid worker were also killed. Some ■ enemy planes penetrated at random, | damaging houses and a children's hospi- i tal and partly wrecking a maternity hospital, in which no casualties resulted. Other raiders concentrated on testing , the defences over widespread areas of ! England and Wales, particularly the south-east coast. A pavilion in north- 1 west England, where children were hold- ) ing a party, was hit. A dive-bomber j demolished the pavilion and caused casualties. An air raid warning in the London area was in operation for 15 minutes ^ from 9.28 a.m. yesterday. At 11 a.m. the sirens sounded the alert for the second time in the day. signalling the 30th attempted attack since September 7. The alarm was over at 11.16 a.m. and, like the earlier one, passed without the sound of aircraft, bombs or gunfire being heard in Central London. Intermittent Barrage. These morning raids followed a night during which the London anti-aircraft barrage was intermittently in action throughout eight and a half hours, the warning period ending at 5.30 a.m. In South Wales high explosive and incendiary bombs which fell in one town damaged houses and other buildings. Details of the casualties are. not yet available. Two enemy aircraft were shot down by British fighters during the night. Activities in the air over Britain yesterday. which were on a small scale and intermittent, but widely distributed and almost entirely terroristic in character, were described in a long communique issued shortly before midnight by the Air Ministry and the Ministry of Home Security. It stated: "Throughout this morning ineffectual enemy aircraft kept up a series of attacks. during one of which bombs were dropped in a London area. Other morning attacks were in the south- west of England and East Anglia. In one south coast town a hospital was hit and several houses and buildings were damaged. Casualties both in London and elsewhere were very slight. Pcnetration to London. "In the early afternoon another enemy attack penetrated to the London area. Bombs were dropped in the south-west of London, but very little damage was done. During this period several south coast towns were subjected to random bombing by the enemy. Damage and casualties were slight, excepting in two of these towns. Brighton and Eastbourne. At Brighton several people were killed and a number injured. At Eastbourne considerable damage was done to houses, there was a small number of fatal casualties and several persons were injured. "One of the enemy attacks in the afternoon demolished a church and several houses at Ipswich. Casualties. however, were very slight. High explosive bombs were dropped in a town in the northwest of England and severe damage was done in and near industrial buildings. Detafls of the results of this attack are not yet available, but it is feared a number of casualties resulted. "Two further attacks were made in the London area during the evening. In the first of these a church in a soulh-wc.st area was hit and there were some casUnlties. Fuller reports of these enemy attacks are awaitcd. Indications are that r.o exlensive damage has been caused in London to-day and that the number of casualties has not been heavy. The number of enemy aircraft destroyed in night and day activities was announced in an Air Ministry communique last night, which stated: "Two enemy bombers were shot down by anti-aircraft guns in the early hours of the morning, that, is. during night attacks. This makes three during the night. Eight enemy aircraft were shot down by fighters during the day. The total enemy aircraft

destroyed to 8.30 p.m. was 11 since midnight. Four of our fighters were lost, but the pilot of one is safe." "Seven more enemy aircraft were shot down on September 14." said an oflicial communique to-day. "Nine of our fighters were lost but six pilots are safe." Enemy air attacks on Friday night were mainly concentrated on the London area and a South Welsh town, it was officially stated. Attacks on London were maintained almost throughout the night. Most of the damage was done in eastern, southern and south-western dis- ' tricts to dwellings and industrial premises. Fires were all under control by ' morning. The Air Ministry reports that full mjvestigation of Wednesday night's bornbjings shows that 110 persons were killed and 260 injured in the London area.