Evening star., 1940-09-18
Whole London Blocks
Have Been Wiped Out,
Nazi Command Says
Subway System Also Hos
Been Smashed, Berlin
Communique Claims

had wiped out entire blocks in some
eastern districts of the British capt.
tai and apparently smashed through
to the city's subway system.
Daylight reconnaissance showed a
yavning, smoking crater which was
believed to be the result OF tre-
mendous direct hit on an UNDER
ground railway, according to DNB.
official news agency. hondon uses
underground railway stations for
bomb sheltersD
The high command announced an
all-caliber bombardment, within the
past "a hours Of day and night
action. of the West India, London
and Victoria docks, water and gas
works. railway stations and Croydon
Alrdrome, among "war-essentlal OBJ
jectives."
The Bow railway station and the
Thursten road junction were bombed
last night and number OF British
rlanes destroyed at Tilburg and
Gravesend, according to the Ger
man radio.
The British lost nine planes yes
terdav against the Germans four,
the high command said.
Convoy Declared Hit.
German coastal batteries hit sew
eral ships during Commute al
tack on a westbound British con-
vov in the English Channel Mon
dav, informed sources SAID. Inc
ships, ranging up to 1500o IONS
these sources added, fed to the mar
bors of Dover Deal and Folkestone,
New extensive fires resulted
everywhere" said the daily COM
munique.
Airports and war-essentlI OBJ
tectiyes were bombed on the SOUTH
west coast and Liverpool was at
tackled repeatedly day and night"
the high command reported. An
airplane plant at Liverpool-Speke
suffered heavy blows
The Nazi raiders also reached into
Scotland. with an attack on GlaS-
COW Harbor. A 5,000-ton British
steamer was reported 'heavily dam
aged" north Of Ireland.
Docks Declared Aflame.
British planes broke through to
bomb Northern and Western Ger
many, the high command .acknoWl-
edged, insisting that residential
quarters and settlements were nit.
Authorized German sources said
Londons Tilbury docks were "a
veritable hell of flames"
Despite the pounding. a German
scout reported extraordinarily
lively" shipping on the Thames,
which was interpreted here as an
indication that London was making
every effort to save as much mate
rial as possible from burning ware
houses.
The reconnaissance pilot said he
flew up the Thames at low altitude
and saw numerous fireboats trying
to quench blazes in granaries and
other storehouses.
Germanys bombers concentrated
on the destruction of the English
air force bases. Nazis said. German
sources claimed that seven of the
only ten remaining airportS in the
London area have been damaged
badly in the past "a hours-some Of
them beyond hope Of immediate re-
pair.
Repulsed by Fighters.
Only a small squadron of British
planes was reported to have actually
penetrated over Western Germany.
Fighter planes forced this squadron
back and one British plane was re-
ported shot down. There were no
immediate reports of overnight air
attacks elsewhere in Germany or
German-held territory.
Adolf Hitler's newspaper. Voelk-
ischer Beobachter, predicted that
London would be pounded into a
heap of wreckage.
Informed German sources say
that "superguns," modern sciences
improvement on the old World War
big Berthas," already are adding
long-range shellfre to the bomb
wrought destruction in London
The long-barrel guns were said to
be firing from the French coast
just practicing and finding the
range for future daily shelling.
German press reports described
conditions of growing confusion in
damaged London and speculated on
possible indications of social and
governmental collapse under the
steady bombings
How long?' Hitler's paper asked
adding:
Churchill is prepared to keep
his Word-to convert London into
heap of wreckage. The ques-
ton arises whether the English peo-
pie will, or how long they will,
follow Churchill along this course"
Meager comment on Mr.. Chur-
chill's address in the House of Com
mons yesterday only indicated that
Germans are resigned to the un-
changeable disposition of the British
Prime Minister to carry the war to
its end.
Weather Admitted Obstacle.
The newspaper Allgemeine Zeitung
said Mr.. Churchill spoke in whin-
ing manner" of the bombing of
buckingham Palace.
buckingham Palace to us is no
specially holy place" the paper OBJ
served. Home is home. The King
is in peter position to get a new
home than the worker who lives
In London'S SlumS."
German sources said adverse
weather might limit air attacks on
London, but could not stop them
These sources added that weather
has been taken into careful con-
sideration as a factor in all phases
Of the attack on England-includ-
ing possible land operations.
Informed quarters attached large
Importance to Italian operations
against the British in the advance
into Egypt. Political circles empha-
sized also the German conversa-