RAIDS ON BRITAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 August 1940, Page 5

RAIDS ON BRITAIN

DAMAGE IN SOME AREAS 'FATAL & OTHER TOTAL NOT VERY NUMEROUS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. August 29. A number of bombs were dropped in town in the north-west of England. Raiders in the south-east dropped 20 explosive bombs and many incendiary bombs, and a south-west town had its sixty-second raid when bombs were dropped, but no serious damage was reported. Enemy planes were reported altogether from 13 towns. The raid on London was the longest yet: it lasted for 7 hours 7 minutes. Bombs were occasionally dropped. An enemy plane, which circled for 30 minutes, periodically cut off its engine and then picked up again with a series of hoarse coughs and splutters. Incendiary bombs were dropped in suburbs. Searchlights were very active as the raiders .continued to fly over London, and at one time at least 100 beams were concentrated on one pilot. A cluster of three bombs fell in one district. As the raid entered its sixth hour the action became fiercer, and anti-aircraft batteries blazed away furiously. The flash of exploding shells could be seen. Four planes appeared to be engaged in constantly swinging in and out of the London area, and one, when caught in a searchlight beam, immediately dropped several screaming bombs.

TWO CHURCHES DESTROYED. A raider dropped six high-explosive bombs on a north-east coast town last night, destroying two churches, damaging houses and blowing out the fronts of several shops. A woman was killed and other persons were injured, some of them seriously. The water supply was interrupted and a number of houses and industrial property were damaged in a town in the Midlands, where some fatal casualties resulted. Bombs were also dropped on a number of towns in the north-east and north-west, where industrial property, houses and other buildings were damaged. The casualties from all these towns were not numerous but included some deaths. Two heavy explosions were heard in London shortly before the all-clear signal was given. EXCELLENT,A.R.P. WORK. Stories coming in from all parts of the country show the extent of the damage caused in last night’s raids, but they also show that business is going on as usual. The excellent work of the A.R.P. authorities minimised much of the fire damage. Tn London incendiary bombs burned down a well-known store in one district before the fire-fighting services could reach the scene. *• In a London working class district

bombs wrecked some houses, but all the occupants had retired to their shelters and were unhurt. One bomb fell between two Anderson shelters, damaging them, but without injuring the occupants. The reports also show that some factories were damaged. More than 60 incendiary bombs fell in one district. Again the A.R.P. and fire-fighting services accomplished excellent work. AIR BATTLE WATCHED MR CHURCHILL VISITS COAST. SEES SEVEN PLANES SHOT , DOWN. LONDON. August 29. The Prime Minister, Mr Churchill, when inspecting air-raid damage in Ramsgate and other parts of the southeast coast yesterday, saw seven planes shot down in one of the fiercest air battles of the war. One plane plunged into the ground in flames several miles away, and Mr Churchill drove to the spot and tracked down a Messerschmitt in a field. An officer was already guarding the wreck, and Mr Churchill asked: “Is it cne of their’s or ours?” The officer replied: “One of theirs.” Mr Churchill remarked: “Good, i That's another off the list.”

SWOOP OF SKUAS ATTACK ON DEPOTS & SHIPS IN NORWAY. SERIOUS FIRES STARTED. LONDON, August 29. Skuas of the Fleet Air Arm'have attacked German oil depots in Norway and supply ships off the Norwegian coast. An Admiralty communique says: Extensive operations were carried out by planes of the Fleet Air Arm over the Norwegian coast. One of the depots had previously been attacked and the two remaining tanks were the targets. A direct hit was secured on one of the largest tanks and fires started. A motor-vessel in a fiord was also attacked and left in a burning state. Off the coast a supply ship of 3000 tons was hit. All our planes returned safely. DIRECT HITS ON OIL TANK AND ENEMY SHIPS. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) LONDON, August 29. An Admiralty communique states: Skuas of the fleet air arm carried out offensive operations over the Norwegian coast. Two remaining tanks at an oil depot, previously attacked, received direct hits and the larger tank was set on fire. The Skuas set fire to a motor patrol ship and obtained two direct hits on a 2000-ton supply ship. All our planes returned.

RELATIVE LOSSES TWENTY-EIGHT NAZI PLANES SHOT DOWN. TEN BRITISH AIRMEN KILLED. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) LONDON, August 29. It is officially stated that full reports of yesterday’s air fighting show that 28 enemy planes were destroyed. We lost 14. Seven of the British pilots and three air-gunners are reported as killed or missing. WAVES OF ATTACK REPELLED BY BRITISH FIGHTERS. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) LONDON, August 29. Nearly 200 German planes came over the south-east coast in waves this afternoon at a great height and penetrated inland, but fled without bombing when British fighters engaged them. Air raiders appeared over two Welsh towns in the afternoon. The London Transport Board has decided that buses shall continue running during air raids warnings and halt only if in imminent danger. PROLONGED RAID MADE ON MIDLAND TOWN. ATTACKERS CHASED AWAY BY SPITFIRES. I

(Received This Day, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, August 29. One Midland town had its longest raid since the outbreak of war when enemy planes dropped twenty bombs in quick succession a few miles north of the town. The planes later returned and dropped fifty more bombs. /Spitfires chased the raiders away. High-explosive bombs fell on four towns in a south-eastern area and a fire started in one district but was soon extinguished. A south-western town had a long raid. Planes passed over the area all night and heavy explosions were heard every quarter of an hour. There were no explosions in the town. Raiders were active over Wales and gunfire was heard for several hours. Houses were demolished in two districts. The raiders were so harassed by gunfire that they hurriedly dropped their bombs, which mostly fell harmlessly on the foreshore.