Evening star., 1940-09-20
Dortmund-Ems Canal
Bombed by R. A. F.;
London Has Respite
BULLETIN.

BULLETIN.
LONDON, Sept. 20 (P).-Lon-
dons anti-aircraft defenses be-
gan roaring their challenge of
fire and steel to German bomb
ers who appeared over the city
early tonight to open their 14th
consecutive night of assault.
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Sept. 2O.-British fight
ers repulsed more than 200 German
planes in a massive battle over the
Southeast Coast this morning and
the raiders were seen racing in
disorder toward the French Coast,
British sources reported today, fol-
lowing night-long Nazi raids on
London and heavy R. A. F. counter
blows against German inland con-
tinental bases and invasion ports"
The authoritative British Press
Association said British fighters,
hidden in the clouds waiting for the
. Germans, pounced on them as they
reached the Kent Coast and a free
for-all followed
. The press associations correspon-
dent, describing the battle, said the
raiders were driven relentlessly back
eastward and the fight continued
over the sea. Later a formation of
Hurricanes and Spitfres came flying
home to the cheers of watchers
below.
Near Dover one German fighter
spun out of the sky trailing smoke
and crashed in hills near the Chan
mel port. German raiders also ap-
peared over London and the Thames
Estuary during the morning.
Anti-Aircraft Barrage.
Londoners, warned to air raid
shelters when the attackers ap-
peared, emerged again shortly after
noon, when it was believed the
danger had passed. Anti-aircraft
batteries kept up a thunderous bar
rage against the Estuary raiders
until British fighters sped to the
attack.
British bombers, striking at Ger
man bases while the Nazis were
subjecting London to its 18th con-
secutive all-night attack, blasted
the Dortmund- Ems Canal and other
vital communications in Germany
proper and number of ports and
airdromes in German occupied ter
ritory, the Air Ministry announced.
Resuming daylight raids, nine
German planes roared through the
clouds over the London area, but
dropped only two bombs. Addi-
tional raiders appeared simul-
taneously over a southeast inland
town.
Later rooftop observers heard the
drone of planes over the capital.
but they were flying too high to tell
whether they were British or Ger
man.
One explosion was heard during
the morning in London, but it may
have been a time bomb dropped in
last nights raids, described officially
as ION a smaller scale and less ef-
fective than of late"
London Main Objective.
London again was the main OBJ
jective of the night attacks, but
bombs also were dumped in Lanca-
shire. Essex, Surrey, Berkshire, Kent,
the Midlands and Southwest Eng
land
A formation of dive bombers cap
ped the night attacks with violent
assault on the northwest and east
sectors of London just before dawn.
One German raider brought down
by anti-aircraft fire over Southwest
London crashed into the side of
house so yards from hospital at
Merton Park. Its wing tips dam
aged four houses before it struck
the fifth, exploding with such force
that the building was demolished.
People in nearby air raid shelters
were endangered by the spreading
flames but escaped.
Some fatalities were caused when
a bomb hit an escape hatch of a
public shelter in a North London
park. The East End also suffered
some casualties.
Many Incendiaries Dropped.
Damage in Central London was
less than on previous nights, al
though numerous incendiary bombs
were dropped. High explosive bombs
made direct hits on two streets. In
one a jewelers. shop and many
apartments were demolished. Peo-
pie in a basement shelter of one
wrecked building were rescued un-
hurt.
One man was killed and many
persons were injured in another
street. A gown shop and a hair
dresser's establishment were badly
damaged.
Although gaping bomb crater
was left in the sidewalk few feet
from West End provision shop, the
shop opened as usual, half the staff
sweeping up shattered glass and
the other half serving customers.
Lord Beaverbrook, Minister for
Aircraft Production; Sir John An
derson, Minister of Home Security,
and Lord AShfield, chairman OF
London Transport, last night in
spected the Holborn underground
station where thousands of East
Enders have been taking shelter
nightly.
The japanese Embassy, in fash
ionable Portman Square, has suf-
fered damage, mostly broken win
dows, in recent raids and the staff
has been forced to move to nearby
building.
Moon Lights Way.
Thick, low-hanging clouds and
. heavy anti-aircraft barrage les
sened the blows of Nazi raiders
until after midnight, when the moon
broke through to light the way for
the dive bombers
BY comparison with previous
NIGHTS the raid WAS considered fair