FIRES IN LONDON

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

FIRES IN LONDON

MORE NAZI RAIDS I LAST OVER NINE HOURS j MUCH DAMAGE DONE (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 9 Relays of German aircraft operating independently attacked the London area again on Sunday night, starting more fires and damaging buildings and homes. The raid lasted from 8.8 p.m. on Sunday until 5.38 a.m. on Monday, or nine and a-half hours —the longest period so far. At least 21 German machines were shot down during the night. Three of one group of eight enemy aircraft were brought down by one anti-aircraft battery in the space of one minute, the credit going to a 22-year-old gunner. Two minutes after the sirens sounded in the evening enemy aeroplanes were reported over south-east England. Immediately after the warning one of the heaviest antiaircraft bombardments since the beginning of the mass raids opened up from the outer district of London. Raiders also approached London from another direction. Anti-aircraft batteries went into action in Central London within a few seconds of the alarm, after which came the scream of falling bombs. Another wave of raiders approached the east London area three-quarters of an hour later. Further salvoes of bombs produced more fires, which are blazing in many parts. A bomb landed outside a big London newspaper office, but the workers were in a shelter and escaped injury. Showers of Burning: Debris Bombs were scattered over east London, again hitting the area affected on the previous night. In another district showers of burning debris were flung toward the sky. The raiders sometimes came very low, cruising in wide circles around the London area in addition to traversing it. There was simply no respite from the loud explosions and reverbrant blasts hour upon hour, every now and again bombs crashing more frequently and more loudly. A member of the civil defence said: “The raiders are not operating in mass formations, but their intention is still obviously to wipe us off the map. Our services are functioning marvellously under stress.” Raiders machine-gunned a Spitfire pilot who baled out over London. The pilot landed unconscious on a barrage balloon, which had to be hauled down, but he died on the way to hospital. Raiders were also over two northeastern towns as well as the Midlands. An official communique states that the enemy employed successive relays of aircraft, which operated independently and dropped bombs ever a widespread area of London. At no time was there an extensive attack by large forces. The more deliberate attacks, continues the communique, were again made on the Thames-side district. Here a number of fires were caused. Elsewhere in London bombing resulted in temporary interruption to public services, and considerable damage to private houses and to some public and commercial buildings. British Bomb Germany While the Germans were attack--1 ing London last night the Royal Air ; Force was again striking at Germany. . For more than three hours British machines raided Hamburg. Salvo after salvo of high-explosive i and hundreds of incendiary bombs • were dropped. Italians Driven Off Anti-aircraft fire drove off Italian bombers who were attempting to attack British warships at Alexandria. A few bombs were dropped. One person was killed and another injured. f No military objective was hit.