RAIDS ON BRITAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 March 1941, Page 6

RAIDS ON BRITAIN

GROUND DEFENCES ACTIVE

ENEMY PLANE PROBABLY DESTROYED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) RUGBY. March 16. A War Office report on anti-aircraft activity against last night’s raid, which was mainly directed against the southeastern area, including London, states that the enemy again encountered a heavy anti-aircraft fire. One enemy aircraft probably was destroyed. After the engagement, an engine was heard to cut out and the aircraft dived steeply towards the sea. An observer corps post in the vicinity confirmed the report of a loud crash into the sea shortly afterwards. It is likely that the aircraft was destroyed, but it wi» be classed only as a pobable unless further confirmatory evidence of its destruction is forthcoming. DAYLIGHT LULL BRITISH OFFICIAL REPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) RUGBY, March 16. An absence of enemy air activity over Britain today is dealt with in an Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique, which states there is nothing to report. TRAGEDY IN LONDON BOMB HITS DANCE HALL. MANY YOUNG PEOPLE KILLED OR INJURED. (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, March 16. Many persons were killed or injured when a bomb directly hit a dance hall in the London area last night. The blast overturned a trolley bus, which was set on fire and burnt out. A rescue worker said that most of the passengers in the bus were killed and that it was like a 'nightmare, as pedestrians sheltering in doorways added to I the deathroll. There were between 100 and 200 dancers in the hall, mostly young regular patrons of a weekly dance. A huge gap was torn in one end of the hall and the bodies of soldiers and girls were flung into the roadway. Rescuers worked throughout the night to extricate victims. Several of those injured! died in hospital. Another bomb wrecked a bank on the opposite side of the street and damaged a public house. A number of men were taken to hospital.