RAIDS ON LONDON

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21208, 3 September 1940, Page 5

RAIDS ON LONDON

MORE FIGHTER ESCORTS BROKEN UP BY GUNFIRE AEROPLANES DRIVEN OFF (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrtmt) LONDON, Sept. 2 An air raid alarm was sounded In London this morning (Monday), but the city had had a quiet night with no alarms. Over various other parts of Britain, however, a few German aircraft operated singly. They met heavy anti-aircraft fire and many turned back without dropping bombs. Bombs fell in a south-west town where a house and a road were damaged, and three bombs unloaded at a place on the north-east coast fell either on the beach or in the sea. Today’s first-big air battle occurred over the Thames Estuary at breakfast time. A vastly greater number of fighter escorts than previously accompanied a handful of bombers. The formation was first broken up by heavy gunfire, then fighters went up and drove them off. There are no reports of bombs being dropped. One raider was lost to the guns and two are believed to have fallen to the fighters. Women and Chldren Bombed Raiders machine-gunned and divebombed women and children shopping in London areas in the course of the six raids on Saturday. The raiders machine-gunned victims on the outskirts of London and in a town in the London area. Traffic noises concealed the raiders’ approach. Bombs shook buildings throughout the town. British fighters went up and hurled back the Germans here and in south-east England.

Thousands watched dogfights, cheering as if at a football match. The battles continued until after midnight, hundreds of aeroplanes taking part.