ATTACKS ON WAR ANNIVERSARY

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21207, 2 September 1940, Page 7

ATTACKS ON WAR ANNIVERSARY

300 ENEMY PLANES IN ENGAGEMENTS THRILLING ENCOUNTERS—BOMBS DROPPED IN LONDON (Official Wireless) (Received Sept. 2, 12 noon.) RUGBY, September 1 The London area heard the air raid warning sirens at 11 a.m. today—at the very hour at which, on the first Sunday in September last, war was declared and very shortly after which the first sirens of the war sounded. According to agency reports this morning a large force of German bombers, with fighter escorts, came over the Thames Estuary. Terrific anti-aircraft fire broke up the formation and afterwards British fighters engaged the enemy. Early this afternoon a large force of enemy planes was seen flying towards London. British fighter squadrons intercepted the enemy, who, after a short scrap, broke up and made for the coast, pursued by Hurricanes and Spitfires. The fall of many bombs was heard distinctly from a London residential suburb.

At one stage during the third warning in London German planes performed a circling movement, and the sky soon was dotted with white shell-bursts stretching for miles along the borders of London before the anti-aircraft fire and fighters drove off the raiders. The “All Clear” in the third raid was given at 2.51 p.m. Industrial Districts Attacked

An Air Ministry and Home Security communique on the enemy raids in the hours of darkness says: Last night enemy aircraft, operating singly or in small formations, made a series of attacks mainly directed against industrial districts in north-west and north-east England.

In a city in the north-west incendiary bombs caused a large number of fires. All these, with the exception of two, which are now under control, have been extinguished. The roof of the town hall was damaged by a, high explosive bomb and other buildings were hit. Though some persons were killed and others injured the number ot casualties was small having regard to the scale of the attack. Elsewhere in the north-west and also in the north-east bombs were dropped, causing fires and demolishing some houses and other buildings. The extent of the damage, however, was relatively slight and the number of casualties small. Attacks were also made on a number of other parts of the country, including the London area, and some damage and casualties have been reported. The heaviest fighting in the air on Saturday came in the evening, when, about 6 p.m., the enemy hurled 300 bombers and fighters against South-east England, including the London area. ...... itsi Poles and Canadians Help Among the many fighter squadrons which helped to drive off the attacks was a Polish squadron, which the day before had scored its first success against the enemy, and a squadron of the Canadian Air Force, which has been fighting in this country for some weeks. The Poles, fighting over Kent, destroyed four Messerschmitt 109’s and damaged others without loss to themselves. A fourth Messerschmitt was chased by one Polish pilot ten miles out over the English Channel and shot down in the sea. The Royal Canadian Air Force squadron, in a running fight which began over South-east London, accounted for two Messerschmitts 109 and a Dornier 215. 33 Warnings in London The sirens have been sounded in the London area 21 times since August 24, making 33 raid warnings since the outbreak of the war. Children Killed The bodies of a girl and a boy were blown on to a roof of a church adjacent to their home during a raid on a London district last night. A mother and daughter were killed in the same area when a bomb fell in the back garden of their home. Eight people sheltering in a downstairs room were injured when a bomb fell in the pavement. Two babies were among those sent to hospital.