Evening star., 1940-09-07
Germans Blast
London in War S
Heaviest Raid
Dive-Bombers Sweep
Down in Relays
To Thud of Bombs
BULLETIN.

BULLETIN.
LONDON (P).-Huge waves of
German bombers, attacking in
groups Of more than score each,
swept in against London late to-
day and the dull boom of bombs
reverberated over the city.
1t was the heaviest attack thus
far on London. About so dive
bombers attacked in groups of 10
over one section, while others
wheeled and waited their turn.
Buildings shook with the thud
of bombs and the crash of anti
aircraft fire.
One formation of German planes
flying above a balloon barrage
was seen to drop Is bombs. A
moment later three British Spit
fires dived into them. The all
clear was sounded after an hour
and AZ minutes.
Ry the Associated Press.
LONDON, Sept. 7.-German bomb
ers in attack formation returned to
the assault on London late this
afternoon for the first time in l6
hours, roaring over the city through
a screen of anti-aircraft fire.
The first raiders, a flight of seven,
swept across the metropolitan area
just after the sirens had sounded at
4:56 pm. They were followed by
several single planes. so high in the
sky that they were little more than
specks.
Up to that hour Londoners had
had a rare day of respite from the
"banshee howl" of the sirens, in
contrast with yesterdays six alarms
from dawn to midnight.
This afternoon the people, ignor-
ing the warnings of air raid ward
ems to take shelter" crowded into
the center of streets to watch the
show.
A violent dogfght developed over
one section. with half dozen raid
ers and defenders scrapping.
Large Force Indicated.
The din of guns and airplane
motors came from many directions
to midtown listeners, indicating
that the attack had been made by
q large force which split into sew
eral groups when 1t reached the
London area.
Spectators in the outskirts of
London saw four planes come down
in one battle. Three of them ap-
peared to be German. The pilot
of one plane bailed out and another
plane was seen circling the para
chuting airman.
The German bombers in that
area, flying in line, apparently were
after some oil tanks, but anti
aircraft guns threw up neavy cur
tain barrage which gave them
trouble.
The steady roll of exploding bombs
by this time could be heard plainly
atop the Associated Press Build
ing in the heart of London. There
were the sharper sound of guns and
smudges of shell bursts IN the sky.
Another formation of six Nazi
craft passed over and sped on
through heavy anti-aircraft bursts.
British fighters caught up with them
a moment later and a free-for- all
dogfight started.
Raiders Met Over Thames.
A short time before the alarm, a
formation of raiders had been met
over the Thames Estuary by British
fighters. One was shot down in the
sea after dropping its load of bombs
Earlier, NaZi warplanes, after
giving London its worst day and
night in the war, concentrated their
attacks mainly on the Northwest,
the Southwest and the Southeast.
They lost at least two planes in bat
tie. British officials said
A formation of German planes
also was reported over the north
eastern coastal area.
A school and other buildings were
damaged by raiders in a west coun-
try cathedral town. No casualties
were reported.
There were some casualties, how
ever, when bomb dropped in the
neighborhood of an airdrome in
Kent in an attack described as ''un-
successful"
Thirty Nazi planes, approaching
an airfield in the Southeast, were
turned back by anti-aircraft fire.
A bomb fell in a field
Another formation almost de-
stroyed an historical school house
In a southwestern town. Boys were
at play nearby, but none was hurt.
Damage in the Northwest was con-
fined mainly to broken windows
when bombs fell in a village and
near cemetery.
Bombs Showered on Coast.
High explosive and incendiary
bombs were showered on the coast
by a formation which swept over
head just before dawn in thunder
of anti-aircraft fire.
London itself, which experienced
six AFRAID alarms-a record-be-
tween dawn yesterday and midnight
last night, was quiet during the