RELATIVE QUIET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 October 1940, Page 5

RELATIVE QUIET

FEW ATTACKS ON BRITAIN LITTLE DAMAGE AND FEW CASUALTIES. TWO WOMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, October 24. German air attacks on Britain last night were again on a smaller scale. Raids were made on London, the home counties, a town in north-east England and another in Scotland. London had one of its quietest nights for some weeks. Little damage was done and casualties were few. After two daylight alerts yesterday, London’s night warning came half an hour earlier than usual, after which there was one of the quietest periods since the beginning of the blitzkreig. Flashes on the outskirts of the city heralded the approach of bombers, after which a raider, using gliding tactics, penetrated outer defences but swerved out after receiving a hot reception. Raiders were fewer than usual, possibly as a result of bad weather in Northern France. After a quiet period a bomber glided in and dropped two bombs in one area. A mother and her two children and another woman and a child were killed when two bombs fell in a roadway in a south-east coast town this afternoon. London’s night raid ended in the early morning after an unusually prolonged quiet. Night raiders were also over Liverpool and south-west Scotland. In an effort to speed up and improve London’s transport facilities, more than 2000 provincial buses are being pressed into service. The first have been in the streets tonight. They present a strange assortment of colours and sizes, many having come from as far afield as Scotland and Cornwall. London Transport Board drivers and conductors are manning the vehicles till the newcomers are conversant with the routes. ■ Iff co-operation with the Ministry of Food, the London Transport Board has undertaken to provide food for tube shelterers to a total of 200,000 a night. Professional caterers are being engaged. THE RAID ON BERLIN NAZI AND NEUTRAL REPORTS. LONDON, October 24. British bombers last night made another attack on Berlin and raided other objectives in Germany. An official Berlin communique says British planes attempted a large-scale attack on the capital, but that few of them reached the city in the face of anti-aircraft fire. Neutral reports, however, state that the engines of British planes could be heard above the city for long periods. The German radio admits that incendiary and high-explosive bombs were dropped. DORNIER BOMBER SHOT DOWN BY SPITFIRE (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Dav. 9.20 a.m.) RUGBY, October 24. The Air Ministry has announced that a Dornier 17 was shot down by a Spitfire which was on patrol over the English Channel this morning. SCATTERED BOMBING IN LONDON & RURAL AREAS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.5 a.m.) RUGBY. October 24. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique states: “A few enemy aircraft, operating singly, crossed the coasts today. Bombs have been reported in the London area, Kent, Hampshire and a country district in Somerset. Though full reports have not yet been received, it is known that some damage has been done to dwelling houses and industrial buildings in the London area and that a small number of people have been injured. At one town in Hampshire considerable damage was done to dwelling houses, but casualties were slight. Elsewhere there was only slight damage and there were few casualties. One enemy bomber was destroyed last night.”