WIDESPREAD DAMAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 October 1940, Page 6

WIDESPREAD DAMAGE

CAUSED BY REPEATED RAIDS ON LONDON Number of Fatal and Other Casualties LARGELY IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS. SOME BUSINESS BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED (By Telegraph.—Press Association. —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, October 8. The noise of guns and bombs shattered the night air repeatedly till dawn. Damage is reported from ten districts in the London area. Searchlights were much more active than on previous nights. British planes also joined in the hunt for the raiders. A bomb in a London area demolished an electric light showrooms and damaged adjoining houses. Another blew out the windows of a police station, police court and town hall. An incendiary bomb fell outside a bank in a famous street and another on an arcade. Several fell on buildings in a small area, including a large block of flats. A Molotdv breadbasket fell on a large London shop, adjoining others which vzere wrecked by a large-calibre bomb a fortnight ago. An incendiary bomb started a fire in an evacuated wing’ of a hospital. The staff put out the fire after an hour. Two bombs demolished a church. A raider going’ home in the morning’ dropped six bombs on a suburb, demolishing two houses, killing two people and injuring others who were spelling - on the ground floor. A.R.P. workers cut a hole through the debris, through which the residents escaped. A bomb hit a large building in the London area used as sales rooms and workshops for the blind and caused a fierce fire, burning out the roof and upper storeys. The most dramatic first alert in the London area in the morning began with the dropping of bombs, after which there was no sound until the raiders had passed and the signal was given. Two bombs fell in quick succession in a street crowded as usual with morning rush hour traffic. A third hit the top of a building, causing large lumps of masonry to fall into the street. A fourth hit a motor-bus and injured passengers.

FIFTY NAZI PLANES

ENGAGED OVER LONDON SEVERAL RAIDS ON LIVERPOOL. OTHER AREAS VISITED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) LONDON, October 8. About 50 German planes were engaged by the anti-aircraft defences and by fighters over London during the first alert. Rescuers recovered/Some bodies from a wrecked bus. Some of the passengers are trapped on the top deck, for whom there is little hope. Some of those killed are also believedly to be under a heap of rubble which had been nearby. Another bomb demolished a block of buildings where at least two persons were killed. Several persons were killed or injured during a second alert, when a high-explosive bomb destroyed three sets of premises and a number of shops on both sides of one road. Two men were killed instantly at the entrance to a restaurant. Others were buried under debris and are believed to have been killed. A bomb which fell in a garden blew an Anderson shelter over a house into the street. Princess Catherine Calitzine, a Russian princess and friend of the Duchess of Kent, lo whom she was distantly related, was killed during a London raid today, when a bus in which she was travelling to work was directly hit. * Three Messerschmitts dive-bombed a south-east coast town in the morning, wrecking a house and causing a number of casualties before the raiders were driven off. Liverpool was raided several times last night. A number of high-explosive and incendiary bombs fell at various points, damaging houses in working-class residential districts. There were several casualties, one of which was fatal. Another north-west town had its heaviest air raid since the outbreak of war. There were several deaths when a block of corporation flats was hit. Some people were fatally injured when a bomb hit a south-eastern emergency hospital. MANY VICTIMS SOME TRAPPED UNDER WRECKAGE. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, October 8. A steady flow of reports indicates a mounting death roll in last night’s and today’s raids against London. Many of the casualties sent to hospital after the first morning alert are beyond aid. Two children were killed in the morning when several houses were demolished and people were trapped under wreckage. Three persons were killed and many injured in a district on the outskirts of London. A wellknown school received 18 incendiary bombs, while five incendiary bombs fell on the playing fields of a noted Roman Catholic public school. DEATHS IN BERLIN BLOCKS OF FLATS HIT BY BOMBS. PEOPLE SPEND FIVE HOURS IN SHELTERS. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, October 8. Well-informed circles in Berlin say that at least 15 persons were killed and many others are not expected to live as a result of the R.A.F. raid. A fuller survey of the damage shows that five hospitals and a number of blocks of flats were hit. It is also announced that eight persons were killed in Amsterdam. The Associated Press of Great Britain Berlin correspondent says the R.A.F. raid kept Berliners in their shelters for nearly five hours. Two fires lighted the sky, and a pall of smoke drifted over the city.

GERMAN REPORT

(Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, October 8. A German communique says:—“During the whole night, our bombers ceaselessly plastered transport facilities, food esablishments and other targets in London, resulting in numerous fires and serious damage.” It adds: “British planes at night flew over Germany at many points. The principal objective was Berlin, where the defence succeeded in forcing back the majority, although a section reached the capital and dropped bombs on storage sheds and railway trucks, causing damage at some points. A number of civilians were killed or injured.” GUNS IN ACTION BOMBARDMENTS ACROSS CHANNEL. (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, October 8. Two units of the battery of four long-range guns east of Cape Gris Nez and also two smaller guns fired across the Straits of Dover at daybreak for an hour, at intervals of three minutes. British guns also bombarded the French coast, salvoing a target several miles inland, near Boulogne. LOW=FLYING ATTACKS RAIDERS MOSTLY STOPPED AT COAST. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY, October 8. A joint communique, giving the latest available particulars of the enemy’s actions against Britain today states: “In an attack on London by low-flying aircraft this morning, little damage and few casualties were caused, but some of the last were fatal. The enemy aircraft, unable to penetrate inland, again dropped bombs indiscriminately on coastal towns in Kent and Sussex, damaging houses and commercial property. Three enemy aircraft were shot down by our fighters and two of our fighters are missing.” “Aircraft of the Coastal Command, without loss, shot down two enemy aircraft today in the English Channel. “In an attack yesterday afternoon in south-west England, some damage was done to a number of houses and a factory. The casualties were not heavy but included a number of persons killed.” HAVOC IN BERLIN LARGE FIRE IN GOODS YARD. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, October 8. An Air Ministry communique states: “Strong forces of bombers last night made successful attacks on military objectives in Berlin. Over 100 heavy bombs were dropped on three main power stations and a large fire was caused at the Templehof goods yard. Several industrial plants were attacked among other key points.” BOMBING AT RANDOM RAIDERS FLY AT GREAT HEIGHT. CASUALTIES IN LONDON NOT NUMEROUS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, October 8. Attacks on London by German bombers and fighters in the morning are described in the following communique:—“Enemy aircraft, which flew over London at a great height, were engaged by our fighters and several were shot down. Some bombs were dropped, but despite the fact that traffic was at its height the casualties were not numerous. There were, however, some fatal injuries among railway passengers, a train being hit by debris. Another bomb on a main *1

thoroughfare seriously damaged two omnibuses and a number of persons were killed and others seriously injured. Later an attack was made by low-flying aircraft, in which a shelter and some industrial buildings were damaged. Particulars of the casualties are not yet available. A few bombs are reported to have been dropped in other parts of south-east England during the morning, but no serious damage or casualties are reported.”