EXTENDED RAIDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 August 1940, Page 5

EXTENDED RAIDS

OVER PRUSSIA & SAXONY

SOME FURTHER BOMBING OF LONDON. TWO POLICEMEN KILLED. LONDON, August 27. It is officially announced by the Air Ministry that British planes attacked armament factories in Berlin and also dropped bombs on military objectives in north-west Germany and in the Ruhr last night. The Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says the raid there lasted for three hours. The raiders circled in dense clouds a few hundred feet over .the city and a considerable, number of leaflets were found.

Raiders covered Prussia and Saxony extensively and alarms were sounded in many cities. including Leipzig, where the fair opens today. In Berlin informed quarters admit that British planes flew over the city and that al. least four waves dropped incendairy bombs in the northern suburbs of Berlin, destroying only a hut they declare, and causing no casualties. No bombs fell in Berlin proper. Though London last night had her share of some of the widespread German night-bombing, there were few casualties and little material damage. Two policemen are believed to have been killed by a bomb bursting in a London roadway. Four bombs fell in another residential quarter, smashing every window of a parish church and demolishing an untenanted air-raid shelter. A man was admitted to hospital. Firemen narrowly escaped when an explosion occurred while they were tackling a gas-main blaze. No bombs fell in inner London, but enemy aircraft flew over at a great height. Raiders over the south-east of England all night dropped screaming and incendiary bombs, but there was no damage or casualties. A communique issued by the Ministry of Home Security says that a few people were killed in the Midlands area. Industrial and residential property was damaged. All fires were quickly and effectively dealt with by the auxiliary fire services and the A.R.P. organisations.

The Midlands raid lasted for several hours. Many incendiary and explosive bombs were dropped. In one district a fire brigade was attacked as it was proceeding to deal with fires. it is now revealed that 12 Spitfires shot down 12 German planes in the fierce air battle near Dorset yesterday; also that all but one of the 54 German aircraft destroyed yesterday were brought down within a period of one hour’s fighting.