FOR TEN HOURS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21221, 18 September 1940, Page 7

FOR TEN HOURS

BATTLE OYER LONDON MORE FIERCE RAIDS TERRIFIC BARRAGE (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 17 An air battle raged over London for nearly 10 hours last night. The “All-Clear” signal was given shortly after 3 o’clock this morning, but a few minutes later the raiders returned, and the second all-clear was not sounded until dawn. There were casualties. Low clouds and a bright moon assisted the enemy. Some bombs fell in the centre of the capital, and others were dropped in the business area of the West End. Anti-aircraft guns again put up a fierce barrage, and the raiders also had the new high-level balloon barrage to contend with. British fighters were active. The raiders again operated singly or in small formations. The raid was the fiercest Central London has yet experienced. The Germans came over ceaselessly, flying among the clouds and regularly dropping high-explosive bombs. The anti-aircraft barrage was of terrific intensity, but it did not prevent the raiders from diving to the very limits of the balloon barrage. A fireman tackling an incendiary bomb in the upper room in the London area was killed, when the raider returned and dropped a highexplosive missile. During a raid on the Midlands, in which high-explosive and incendiary bombs were scattered over widelyseparated areas, an enemy bomber fouled a balloon cable and crashed, one of the crew being captured. Bombs were dropped in a denselypopulated area in a town in the north-west of England and also near a Welsh town. Hospital Ward Demolished One ward of a London hospital was demolished by a bomb during the night, but there were no casualties. A high-explosive bomb fell 50 yards from a refuge, but all sheltering there escaped injury. Shops suffered damage in the West End. Hundreds of windows were blown in. Other bombs that fell in the city were not heard to explode. Householders were warned to evacuate their premises. The first warning to-day (Tuesday) was given soon after 3 a.m. Bombs were dropped in Central London, on which the raiders concentrated. Intensive gunfire was heard. The “All Clear” was given after an hour and 34 minutes. The sirens sounded again just after 8 o’clock, and a third time soon after 9 o’clock. An Air Ministry communique states that enemy attacks were resumed at dusk last evening. Many Fires Started Bombs were dropped in many parts of London and the suburbs. Many fires were started, but they were brought under control. Damage was caused to houses and a number of commercial and other buildings. Once again a hospital was struck, but there were no casualties. In the home counties bombs were dropped, but most of them fell in rural areas and caused no damage. Raiders also visited the Midlands and north-west and caused some damage. In South Wales there was slight damage in one town. Several districts in the north-east were bombed just before dark. The general damage was small, and on the whole casualties do not appear to have been heavy. Bombs fell on two famous West End squares and also in a worldfamous shipping street during London’s fifth raid, which lasted six hours and 33 minutes. In another district nurses and doctors worked strenuously to move over 160 patients from a hospital threatened by a time-bomb. All were removed safely.

SPAIN AND GERMANY

MISSION IN BERLIN (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrlg-ht) BERLIN, Sept. 17 The Spanish Minister of the Interior, Senor Ramon Suner, has arrived in Berlin at the head of the mission of Spanish military, political and economic experts.