FRENZIED ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 September 1940, Page 5

FRENZIED ATTACK

MADE ON CENTRAL LONDON DAMAGE IN FAMOUS SHOPPING . AREA. FIRES FOUGHT UNDER HAIL OF SHRAPNEL (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) LONDON, September 25. Soon after midnight, Marshal Goering launched one of the most frenzied attacks yet made on London. Sections of raiders sought out an important part of Central London and also a famous shopping area. They first rained hundreds of incendiary bombs and circled round the targets, then dive-bombed, swooping recklessly under the balloon barrage and joined in a series of furious attacks. Valuable stained glass windows were blown in at an historic Central London church. A bomb blew out the interior of a bank a few yards from the church. Fire from bombs in Central London started a ring of fires within a radius of a quarter of a mile, six of which, blazing simultaneously, enveloped a college, business premises and furniture depositories, in which were highly inflammable goods. Many nearby buildings were evacuated. Fire fighters worked on through a hail of shrapnel. Daylight found only the shells of buildings standing in one well-known street. Walls continued to collapse amid clouds of dust, debris and smoke. In a a south-west suburb, a line of three shops was wrecked. The adjoining three had been wrecked a few nights ago. A particularly heavy high-explosive bomb caused great damage, and also many casualties in one of London’s most popular centres, while residential areas elsewhere were again damaged. CHANNEL WEATHER DENSE MIST IN STRAITS OF DOVER. LONDON, September 24. A dense mist has shrouded the Straits of Dover tonight. The sea is calm and there is a cloudless sky with a slight north-westerly wind. GERMAN REPORT CASUALTIES AND DAMAGE IN BERLIN. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) BERLIN. September 25. It is officially stated that a number of British planes again attempted to attack Berlin last night. Strong antiaircraft fire prevented the attackers from aiming their bombs, most of which fell in open country. Several dwellings were hit in various suburbs, causing casualties among the population. Incendiary bombs fell on a hos-1 pital. but energetic safety measures prevented damage. Further details of* the extent of the damage cannot yeti be given.