ATTACKS ON LONDON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 September 1940, Page 5

ATTACKS ON LONDON

NAZI SQUADRONS BROKEN UP AND REPELLED Conflicts Over Thames Estuary DORNIER CRASHES ON BEACH DAMAGING BRITISH RAIDS ON BERLIN It has been officially announced that up to 7.30 o’clock last evening’ 22 German planes were known to have been shot down yesterday in raids on Britain, a Daventry broadcast states. Eleven British planes came down, but five of the pilots are safe. More air raid alarms were sounded in London, but on each occasion the raiders were driven away. Yesterday morning’ a force of German planes flew north to the Thames. The formation was broken up, though some bombs were dropped at a number of points on the river and north-east Kent. The number of casualties was not large. In this raid

the cost to the Germans was 11 planes. Early yesterday afternoon a second formation of German planes came across the south-east coast. A series of engagements developed and some bombs were dropped, before the planes were driven back. In an

attack on a south-east town no serious damage was done'and there were no casualties. The raiders dived out of the clouds

to make the attack and were driven off by intense anti-aircraft gunfire.

An agency report states that a Dornier two-engine plane was shot down yesterday afternoon on the south-east coast. It crashed on a beach and burst into flames. One of the crew escaped by parachute, but the others were trapped. While the German planes were over Britain, British bombers were raiding military objectives in Berlin and elshewhere in enemy territory. These included an aero engine factory and aerodrome. When a lighting installation west of the city was bombed a fire was started which could be seen 30 miles away. The oil tanks at Rotterdam were bombed and immense fires started. Two British planes did not return.

DURING LAST WEEK 293 GERMAN PLANES WERE LOST IN ATTACKS ON BRITAIN, WITH AN APPROXIMATE PERSONNEL OF 700. THE BRITISH LOSSES AT HOME AND IN GERMANY WERE 128 PLANES AND 110 FLYERS.

GERMAN PLANE LOSSES FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS OF THE WAR ARE GIVEN AS NEARLY 4000.