Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-20

The furious pace of the raid con-
tinued on after midnight before a
lull brought the AL clear around
2 am But it did not last long. The
raiders returned to the attack with
in a few minutes and another alarm
was sounded.
The all-clear signal sounded at
about dawn to end the second raid
of the night, which was compare
lively light compared with the first
The Germans apparently concen-
j.. trated on distant outskirts of the
city during the second assault, since
only the bark of the ground guns
at the outer edges of London could
be heard
When the salvos of bombs first
poured down, it appeared that the
raid might prove the heaviest at
tack of the war, but for some reason
the Germans did not continue the
fast attack on the city itself in the
early morning hours.
Direct Hit Is Scored on Hospital.
Bombs scored a direct hit on a
hospital. considerably damaging one
block of wards. There were heavy
damage and undetermined casual
ties in another district.
The raiders also attacked the
Midlands, concentrating on two
towns around which numbers of
high explosive and incendiary bombs
were dropped.
Numerous fires were caused IN one
town, but were controlled by fire
men. Houses were demolished. but
most of the people trapped in them
were rescued.
The raiders attacking London APP
parently came over the usual routes
one formation crossing the Kent
coast at Dungeness and circling to
the west of London, another streak
ing up the Thames Estuary direct
from bases in Holland.
From the rooftop where l
watched. it seemed to be heavier
even than last Tuesdays big raid,
ranked as the worst London has
suffered so far. Time after time |
had to duck as bombs crashed
nearby.
The German planes were coming
over in the largest formations they
have yet used. There were easily
IS to 20 in each wave and the waves
were not more than five minutes
apart.
But no matter how large the fires
they started, quick work by fire
fighters brought them under control
In about an hour.
Mysterious Daylight Letup.
There had been mysterious day
light letup but, for the 43d straight
night. the raiders reappeared as in
evitably as the darkness. They had
been saving up for smash OF con-
centrated ferocity.
I talked with Associated Press
staff reporters stationed all over
the city and the suburbs. They con-
firm that it was tough going last
night.
They just dropped a stick of r."
one told me.
The bombs were not coming down
one at time-in no case were
there less than eight in a cluster.
Buildings rocked to their blasts.
Fire engines and ambulances raced
through the streets with sirens wall
ing.
Associated Press Reporter Robert
Bunnelle telephoned to report one
salvo of bombs apparently got row
Of houses near which he is staying.
Associated Press Reporters Edwin
Stout and w. T. YarbrCugh both tel
ephoned from the same neighbour
hood that bombs were falling fast
and furiously. From another neigh
borhood. William McGaffin reported
the most intense air attack he has
seen throughout the siege. He was
unable to get home
Irene Henshall. Associated Press
secretary who lives il one of the
ost-bombed areas called IN. ITS
worse than usual OUT here tonight
Shrapnel Falls Like Beans.
As the moon rose sllnouettlng st.
Paul's dome, the attack became
heavier. Anti-aircraft batteries of
the inner as well as the outer ring
of Londons defenses pounded at the
invaders.
Shrapnel dropped on all sides,
spattering like beans on roofs.
Sometimes the hiss Of rger frag-
ments mingled with tlOe whistling
sound of the bombs, but not often.
For one brief spell the formations
dwindled away to fights of one or
two raiders at a time. But it was
short-Hved and the new crop seemed
even more daring and loW-fylng
than before.
ut their meals, bomb exploded out
side injuring several persons. Pass
ers-by flung themselves down into
the street. against doO1ways and into
cutters. Bus passenger. dashed for
cover in brick surface shelters.
Before the night raid started more
than 1000 women anu children had
been evacuated to Yorkshire yes
terday.
One of the first bombs in the
London area demolished a public
shelter. Persons crowded into the
shelter we're injured only slightly
by the first hit, but other bombs
came down on them as they strug-
eled to get out.
Another heavy bomb smashed six
houses on the outskirts.
Incessant Straflng began almost
with the wall OF the night alarm.
Several bombs shrieked down and
burst with the thunderous explo-
sions of the invaders biggest.
In the first two hours the whis-,
ties and explosions of II bombs
were counted from the Associated