DAYLIGHT RAID

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 January 1943, Page 3

DAYLIGHT RAID

ATTEMPTED BY GERMANS With London as Main Target NUMBER OF SCHOOL CHILDREN KILLED BUILDING DIRECTLY HIT BY BOMB LONDON, January 20. The Germans today attempted one of their biggest daylight air raids on this country since the Battle of Britain. R.A.F. fighters foiled-the attack. The London area was the main target but out of 25 or 30 enemy fighter-bombers which tried to get through, only about half a dozen succeeded in reaching the capital. The others were either hit or forced to jettison their bombs. An enemy fighter escort of between 50 and 100 planes tried to create a diversion over the coastal area, 'but British fighters harried them too. So far, it is known that twelve of the raiders were destroyed. Many more were probably brought down or damaged. Some damage was done to houses in suburban districts The principal victims were 30 children who were killed when a bomb directly hit their school. The building collapsed. A number of teachers and children are still not accounted for. Police roped off the wrecked building to keep out anxious mothers. , Rescue squads have been digging for bodies m the wreckage of a cafe which was also hit. Some of the raiders dived almost to roof level to machine-gun shoppers in the streets. One plane shot up the crew of a balloon barrage, injuring several members of the W.A.A.F. The women behaved magnificently under fire. Two trains and a barge were also attacked and a number of barrage balloons were set on fire. In addition to London, bombs were also dropped in several country districts in the south of Eng’land and at certain points on the Thames. Watchers saw British fighters at one place dive into an enemy formation of 20 fighters. After a big fight, they saw the Germans making off at high speed for the French coast, with the British fighters in hot pursuit. BRITISH ATTACKS ON FRANCE The French Havas agency says the R.A.F. bombed a town in France today. The report does not identify the place but states that much damage was done. The Paris and Calais radio stations went off the air this afternoon. x _ Last night fighters again attacked enemy targets m France and the Low Countries.

R.A.F. READY DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY ( RAIDERS. BOMBING IN COUNTRY AREAS & LONDON. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY. January 20. , The Air Ministry states that R.A.F. fighters were ready for the German raid on London and other areas. Squadrons from one station shot down six enemy machines. The wing leader of this station himself destroyed two and another pilot also scored two. The raiders dropped bombs in country districts, while flying inland from the south-east coast, and machine-gunned and dive-bombed streets in the London area. A school in London received a direct hit and twenty infants were killed. It was London’s first daylight alert since October 26 last.