BLIND SAVAGERY

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21214, 10 September 1940, Page 5

BLIND SAVAGERY

THE GERMAN ATTACKS DAMAGE IN LONDON 306 KILLED IN DAY (Official Wireless) (Received Sept. 10, 11 a.m.) ‘ RUGBY, Sept. 9 Reports of the damage caused in the attacks on London on Sunday night are not yet complete, states a Ministry of Home Security communique, but some particulars can now be given. The attacks were severe and continued throughout the hours of darkness. Bombing was widespread over the London area and for the most part it was indiscriminate. The damage was heavy and comprised many targets of a non-military character, including three hospitals and two museums. The number of casualties cannot at present be assessed, though, as far as information is available, it is not anticipated that the numbers will exceed Saturday’s figures. The casualties given for the attacks on that day are now found to be rather lower than announced. According to present information 306 were killed and 1337 seriously injured. The docks on both sides of the river were again subjected to heavy and repeated bombardment with high explosive and incendiary bombs. A number of fires broke out. Many of these fires have been extinguished and all the remainder are well in hand. London has once again been the main objective of the enemy, and its citizens have met the blind savagery of these latest night with admirable courage and resource. Mastery Over Ruthless Enemy The Times says in a leading article: “Many of Saturday’s casualties were caused by attacks falling on men of the services. The enemy attempted a crushing blow to reassure Germans and strengthen the world’s rapidlywaning estimate of Hitler’s power fatally to injure England. “The raid, however, has not impaired the strength of the Royal Air Force, and it has not seriously damaged the national war effort. Emphatically it did not shake civilian morale, which is a large part of the enemy’s purpose. “The verdict of the victims was that the experience was a mere incident in the process of winning the mastery over a ruthless enemy.”