ATTACKED AGAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 December 1940, Page 5

ATTACKED AGAIN

CONCENTRATED RAID ON DUSSELDORF BRITISH BOMBERS START GREAT FIRES. NIGHT BOMBING OF LONDON. An Air Ministry, communique transmitted by the 8.8. C. states that the large industrial area of Dusseldorf was once again selected for a heavy and concentrated attack by the R.A.F. on Sunday night. One bomber crew reported seeing flames issuing from the windows of the steel works. Hundreds of incendiary bombs and many heavy explosive bombs were dropped and a great volume of smoke billowed into the air. Thirty or 40 miles away British airmen could see that the fires had taken a firm hold.

The German occupied ports of Bordeaux, Brest and Lorient were heavily raided, the objectives including docks alongside which submarines were moored.

From these widespread operation two British planes failed to return. Biitish planes shot down an enemv bomber over the North Sea, but otherwise there was little enemy air activity over Britain yesterday. In Sunday night’s raid on London, the Germans concentrated most of their attack on one area. The bombing was the heaviest the city had endured for some weeks. Throughout the night a thundering barrage was put up and two of the raiders were shot down Fires were mostly put out while the raid was still going on. Incendiary and high explosive bombs were both dropped indiscriminately. Five hospitals were hit.

An Air Ministry communique says a number of; people were killed and others injured in London. Some bombing occurred also in the area between London and the south-east coast. Damage was done to houses, but the number of casualties in these areas was not large.

GERMAN CLAIMS TONNAGE OF BOMBS DROPPED. (Received This Day, 915 a.m.) BERLIN, December 9. Officials claim that 700 tons of explosives were dropped on London last night and 80,000 to 100,000 incendiary bombs. NAZI FURY CONCENTRATED ON LONDON. TALK OF NEW ENEMY TECHNIQUE. LONDON, December 9. The raids on London last night extended over a wide area and were as fierce as any since September. It is believed that the Germans, after concentrating on the provinces, are again aiming the brunt of their attack on London. The fury of the attack eased in the early hours of this morning presumably as a result of worsening weather. A few, bursts of anti-aircraft gunfire were audible at intervals of several minutes. Informed circles in Berlin said the Luftwaffe used a new technique over London, which they termed the “silent attack.” German pilots said they caused numerous fires. An Air Ministry communique states that two German bombers were destroyed when heavy attacks were made on London during the night. Considerable damage was done and many fires were started, but most of them were put out while the attack was still on. A number of people were killed and other were injured.

FIVE HOSPITALS HIT. Five London hospitals were hit during the attack which was carried out in a manner reminiscent of an early day of the air blitzkrieg. The raiders came in from the Thames Estuary. Bombs were also dropped in districts between London and the coast, but the casualties there are stated to be not large. Over London the Germans adopted the latest method of dropping flares first followed by incendiary bombs. One of the remarkable features of the raid was the speed with which the fires were put out. A.R.P. workers climbed to roof tops to get at the incendiaries while they were easy to deal with. Even so, many hundreds of these bombs started fires. London’s fire fighting services, however, excelled themselves, and comparatively few of the fires got a proper grip. The explosive bombs were dropped indiscriminately. Even the German news agency makes no attempt to deny the indiscriminate bombing, and claims that whole blocks of houses were set on five, while explosive bombs converted the burning houses into rubble. In view of the work of the fire-fight-

ing services, this claim is nonsense. This morning London was carrying on as usual. Traffic -was proceeding as normal, though many streets have scars from the raids.

The German news agency says:— “Our bombers converged on London from all the aerodromes in Belgium and France.”

Yesterday itself was quiet. An Air Ministry Home Security communique issued in the afternoon stated: “One enemy fighter-bomber was shot down in the Channel early in the afternoon. Otherwise there is nothing to report.

AIR MINISTRY REPORT INDUSTRIAL AND MILITARY TARGETS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY. December 9. An Air Ministry communique states: “R.A.F. bombers last night renewed the attack on industrial and military targets in the Dusseldorf area. Other aircraft bombed the submarine base at Lorient and shipping and harbour installations at Bordeaux and Brest, other targets, the ports of Flushing. Dunkirk, Gravelines and several enemy aerodromes. “Two of our planes are missing.” NIGHT OF TERROR UNDER BLITZKREIG FURY HEROIC VOLUNTEER SERVICES. LONDON, December 8. < As the night wore on it became

increasingly clear that the Luftwaffe, in its attack on London last night, was concentrating its utmost fury on the capital. The attack reached full blitz proportions as midnight approached. One heavy bomb illuminated like day a busy area for 100 square yards as a dazzling flash preceded an earsplitting crash and the tell-tale rumble of falling masonry and reinforced concrete buildings rocked and windows ejected their-glass across the roads to the sickening concussion of other heavy bombs. One of several high-explosive bombs in one London district fell near a building in which night workers were blown off their chairs, lights were extinguished and papers scattered across the desks.

Forty bombs fell simultaneusly in the same area.

A bomb hit an ambulance station, and it is now learned that high-explo-sive bombs hit seven hospitals, four churches, a convent, three vicarages, and also an A.R.P. post, causing casualties. A time-bomb considerably damaged the nurses’ home at a children’s hospital. When a shelter was hit on the Thames Estuary those inside were trapped but were dug out. It was a real night of terror, and there was no relief even after midnight. More and more streets revealed the ravages of high-explosives bombs in wrecked buildings and the surfaces of the roads carpeted with broken glass. More frequently came the clanging of fire-bells as members of the Auxiliary Fire Services dashed through in the height of the “blitz” on their terrible errand.

Ambulances sent glass splashing like water from the roadway to footpaths as they bore victims to the refuges. All London had gone to groud except the volunteer services, braving the utmost perils, and newspapermen and other night-workers who were carrying on in spite of the horror from the skies.