SATURDAY RAIDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 August 1940, Page 5

SATURDAY RAIDS

ON LONDON & PORTSMOUTH NUMBERS OF FIRES CAUSED. ONE IN BUSINESS SECTION OF CITY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, August 25. The Air Ministry announced that two big mass raids began at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The first attack by 300 bombers and their escorts extended inland, causing the London anti-aircraft guns to go into action. Simultaneously 500 bombers and fighters raided the Portsmouth area.

A sergeant pilot in a Spitfire squadron shot down five Messerschmitts in three battles. His squadron engaged 20 Junkers and at least 20 escort planes over the Thames Estuary. The squadron destroyed four Messerschmitts and probably a fifth. , A Hurrican squadron patrolling the Thames Estuary encountered 30 Junkers and 30 Messerschmitts. They destroyed a Junkers and a Messerschmitt and damaged a second Messerschmitt. At the same time 12 Hurricanes intercepted 15 Heinkels and 15 Messerschmitts and shot down a Heinkel and a Messerschmitt and probably destroyed a second Heinkel and damaged a third.

Spitfires encountered 50 Messerschmitt Jaguars escorted by an equal formation of fighters. The Spitfire’s destroyed two and damaged three of the Germans.

Boulton Paul Defiants, were three times in action during the day, attacking 24 Junkers, of which they destroyed four. They went on and shot down a Heinkel and damaged a Messerschmitt. High explosives and incendiary bombs fell in London during the raid. The numerous fires caused suggest that the incendiary bombs were dropped in large containers known as “Molotov bread-baskets.”

An incendiary bomb hit the roof of a hospital and the nurses helped the firemen to extinguish it. A high-ex-plosive bomb killed a 65-year-old widow sheltering under the stairs in l stead of in the backyard shelter of her dwelling. Members of the Home Guard in the Midland area reported seeing parachutes descending and expressed the opinion that this was a repetition of the old hoax.

Explosives and incendiary bombs were dropped this morning in a southwest district. Four small houses were wrecked and a number of casualties caused, some fatal.

The north-east had the longest raid since the war began. Enemy planes passed over a coastal town and dropped 15 bombs on the outskirts at intervals of a few yards. Houses were damaged and a gas main set on fire. Other bombs fell inland. The anti-aircraft guns were heavily in action. The total damage was slight considering the length of the raid and the number of explosions. Shortly before midnight a bomb from a raider caused a fire in the business section of London. Hundreds of firemen fought the blaze, while the raider was still circling over them. The fire raged furiously for half an hour before it was brought under control. Members of the home guard and the police closed the approaches to the fire as the crowds which emerged from the shelters surged around. The windows in a number of buildings were blown out and some fires were caused elsewhere. The casualties are believed to be few.

ENEMY AIRMEN AT LEAST 2000 LOST SINCE AUGUST 8. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 23. Careful investigation of official figures shows that German losses of trained airmen from August 8 to today exceed 2000 cn a conservative estimate. Taking a bomber crew to average four, the enemy lost 1636 trained airmen, to which figure must be added 180 single-seater fighter pilots and at least 300 more from the 139 Messerschmitt 110’s or Jaguars, which carry two or three men. This gives a total of 2116 without counting any crews from aeroplanes so badly damaged that it was probable they were unable to reach their bases. When it is remembered that the number of Nazi planes entered in the official lists as probably destroyed and badly damaged on August 12 and August 13 exceeded the number known to be destroyed it will be realised that the claim that the Nazis lost 2000 men in 14 days is certainly distinguished by moderation. LOSSES OF AIRCRAFT GERMANY’S BIG TOTAL. LONDON. August 25. The Air Ministry announced that since the outbreak of the war the Germans had lost 3253 planes to midnight on August 23. The Italians had Inst 122 and the British 889, of which 20 were in the Middle East.