BERLIN HAMMERED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 September 1940, Page 6

BERLIN HAMMERED

SUCCESSFUL BRITISH ATTACKS RAIDERS ON LONDON GET HOT RECEPTION. FAILURE TO PENETRATE CENTRAL DEFENCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1 p.m.) LONDON, September 29. While our bombers, despite bad weather last night, were hammering Berlin and the Channel invasion ports, London’s anti-aircraft defences were busier and more earsplitting than ever, preventing the enemy penetrating the central defences. Neutral correspondents report that Berlin had two alarms, the first for an hour, and the second for half an hour. A German communique claims that the Berlin anti-aircraft guns brought down a British plane with an Australian crew, and adds that the metropolitan area was not flown over. “British attacks were directed against the Ruhr,” the communique states. “Bombs falling on suburban residences in a Rhineland town resulted in numerous casualties.” Nazi raiders over’ London adopted various devices. A few tried cutting out theii’ engines and gliding for a time, but they were relentlessly followed by shells. Others turned and circled the outskirts of the capital. Some flew in from various directions in groups of three or four and dropped incendiary bombs in an attempt to start guide fires. Several incendiary bombs fell in a line in one area, and others fell on several houses in a south-east town, on the fringes of London.

South-east coast towns were also raided and it is feared that several persons were trapped in cellars when two shops collapsed. One raider unsuccessfully bombed a trawler.