GERMANS OVER LONDON

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1940, Page 7

GERMANS OVER LONDON

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.

BOMBS IN CITY'S CENTRE

Received 1.5 a.m. - London, Soptember 17. LAST night's raid was the fiercest central London has yet experienced. German planes came over non-stop, flying among clouds and regularly dropping high explosive bombs. The antiaircraft barrage was of terrific intensity, but it did not prevent the raiders from diving to the very limits of the balloon barrage. Thousands during the night indulged in the new night-time pastime of door hopping to escape flying shrapnel as they scurried homewards. The use of underground stations for shelters has been discouraged, but to-night thousands of people stayed on the platforms when shrapnel made the streets death traps. Many snatched a few hours' sleep, despite the clattering of trains. i

The evening's alarm, the flfth of the day, sounded about the usual time, and Londoners were surprised when the all clear was given at 2.40 a.m., some hours earlier than usual. At 3.52 a.m., however, the alarm was sounded again as Londoners were getting much needed sleep. Bombs were dropped on the central London area, where the raiders concentrated, and intensive gunfire was heard before the all clear signal was given after 94 minutes. Bombs fell in two famous West End squares and in a world-famous shipping street during London's fifth raid, which lasted 6 hours 33 minutes. "Small groups of enemy aircraft las* night again concentrated on London, many parts of which were bombed," said this moming's official communique. "A number of fires were started but were speedUy extinguished. Houses and commercial buildings were damaged, as well as a hospital, where there were no casualties. Bombs were dropped in rural areas in the home counties, but no damage was done. Towns in the Midlands, Wales, and north-east and north-west England were attacked, some damage "and some casualties being caused. Bomber Fouls Barrage." , "An enemy bomber was destroyed after fouling a balloon cable. Four enemy bombers were destroyed the previous night by anti-aircraft fire. making six enemy losses for the night." Bombs struck- a presbytery of the Jesuit Fathers and a shopping area in a fashionable quarter. One high explosive bomb fell about 50 yards from a shelter in which were " 200 V persons, but all escaped. In another district 160 patients in a hospital were threatened by a time bomb which fell in the building, but by the V^ViVWWVVWAPA%VrtWAV.

efforts of the staff all were removed to a place of safety. A fireman who was tackling an incendiary bomb in an upper room in the London area was killed when a raider returned and dropped a high explosive bomb. During a Midlands raid in which high explosive and incendiary bombs were scattered over widely separated areas an enemy bomber fouled a balloon cable and crashed. One member of the crew was captured. Bombs were dropped in a densely populated area in a northwest of England town and near a Welsh town. London had two warnings this morning, both of which were short. One occurred soon after 8 o'clock and the second soon after 9 o'clock. During the second alarm a German plane is believed to have been shot down.