Evening star., 1940-09-17
London
Continued From First Page.)

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train standing outside a station in
the London area reported hearing
an airplane engine above the clouds,
and then nearby anti-aircraft gun
fired one round A terrific crash
on the opposite side of hill fol-
lowed. accompanied by an explo-
sion which suggested the plane had
crashed. This alarm was lifted 55
minutes later, the all clear sound
ing at 1904.
The Germans apparently hurled
greater number of planes than
usual into the attack on London last
night and early this morning, but
heavy fogs limited the effectiveness
of their operations and broke them
up.
Several fremen were killed while
fighting a large blaze in Central
London.
Weather Ends Raid.
The Nazis began their customary
night assault on the capital at 500
o'clock, drawing the heaviest anti
aircraft fire yet heard in the city
as they sent steady succession of
planes to the attack.
The unfavorable weather, grow
ing steadily worse as the night
progressed, caused the onslaught to
taper of toward midnight, however.
and the all-clear signal was sounded
at 2:4l am. after an alarm lasting
six hours and 80 minutes.
1t was the first time in several
nights that the Germans had broken
of their attacks so early in the
morning.
Despite the adverse conditions,
the Nazis made one more assault on
the capital before dawn, and anti
aircraft batteries slammed into ac-
ton again almost simultaneously
with the shrek of. the sirens at
S:49 am.
More bombs fell before the all
clear was sounded at 5:24 am, after
an alarm lasting hour and 35 min
utes.
Just as cheering to the British as
the weather news were announce
ments of continued Royal Air Force
successes in attacks on German
barge concentrations and Channel
bases.
London Exults.
Invasion armada in chaos"
exulted the London Mail in large
headlines Havoc in Channel
bases" shouted the News Chronicle.
and the jubilant Express proclaimed
Invader Hitler gets big battering"
Newspaper reports Of weather
conditions in the channel were
followed with intense interest. Pub
lication of such news, vigorously
censored at the first of the war,
has been permitted since June when
the Germans reached the channel
themselves, but dissemination of
inland weather information still is
forbidden.
A government communicate said
that the German air raids also were
reported over the industrial Mid
lands, Wales, Northeast England
and elsewhere.
Several fires we're started in one
fashionable London residential area
and number of homes and COM
mercial buildings were destroyed in
other sections. A hospital was
among the structures officially listed
as damaged. but there were no cas-
ualties there.
No figures have yet been issued
on the casualties in Sunday nights
raids. but authorities said they were
"a little greater" than for the nights
Immediately preceding, though not
as great as Saturday a week ago
when more than 300 were killed.
Drew Middleton, Associated Press
reporter. was describing the bomb
ing of a Central London neighbor-
hood when high explosive projec-
tile landed just outside an apart
ment he was visiting. The blast
crashed over the telephone like .
thunderclap.
Mr.. Middleton said anti i-aircraft
shell splinters were falling all around
the apartment.
The apartment in which Franklin
c. Gowen. second secretary of the
United States Embassy, was spend
ing the night was shaken by two
bombs exploding perilously close. :.
One guest in the apartment which
Mr.. Middleton was visiting was
blown across the room by the blast