1939-09-07 — Page 6

LONDON

THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 7, 1939.

RAID RAID

ALARM

City Workers Going To Office Show Admirable Calm

AIR DEFENCES IN MEDWAY

ARE GOING TO "ATTACK" LASTS FOR OVER TWO HOURS

London, To-day.

ACTION

NAZI PLANES OBEDIENT TO LAW

London, To-day.

A Government statement

YESTERDAY MORNING'S attempt by Nazi planes to raid London the third occasion on which the raid warning was sounded in the Metropolis in the House of Commons mainly affected the Medway district, where the yesterday said that bombing defences of Chatham, Rochester and Gillingham by Nazi planes so far had been directed generally at went into action.

military objectives.

So efficient were our defence arrangements that the hostile aircraft were driven off without being able to attack their objectives.

The alarm went at 6.40 a.m. and 20 minutes later our anti-aircraft shells were seen exploding high in the sky. The machine-guns of R.A.F. fighters could be heard as they engaged the enemy.

to

At 9 a.m. the all clear went, and our interceptor planes returned their bases.

The alarm sounded in London it- office self at 6.45 a.m., when many

the workers were on their way to City.

Those caught in the streets pro- cooded quietly to tho nearest sholter, and A.R.P. wardens car- ried out their tasks calmly, and efficiently.

NO PANIC

had the

Air raid instructions, which been repeatedly broadcast by B.B.C., and printed in the newspapers, were obeyed to the letter, and there was no panic or haste.

Chlef task of A.R.P. workers was to order back to the shelters, venturesome people who had come out to the street to see what going on!

WED

over

Although no planes appeared London, the sound of heavy plane engines was heard on the outskirts at 7 a.m. Anti-aircraft fire was also heard, and the hostile raiders were driven off.

Twenty minutes later the sound of heavy, engines was again heard, and A.A. guns fired two or three shots, while more firing was heard in the distance.

UNDERGROUND "GOES, "ON. Buses and motor-cars in the streets of London stopped during the raid, but the Underground continued run- ning...

At 9.02 a.m. the all clear sounded in London.

There was some slight congestion of traffic but this was soon cleared by the efficient transport system.-Reu-

ter.

London, To-day.

re-

The "All Clear" signal was ceived at Chatham at about 9 o'clock.

Anti-aircraft fire was distinctly heard at Southend. No guns were fired in Essex and apparent- ly no 'planes reached there; An A.R.P. worker said:--- "At about 8.30, I saw what peared to be German bombing 'planes, flying high and very fast.

ap-

"There was plenty of gun-fire." People in North London heard the

The question was raised

by Mr. Arthur Henderson (Labour), who

asked the Government what informa

tion was in their possession regard- ing Nazi bombing of civilians and unfortified towns.

Mr. R. A. Butler, Under-Secre- tary for Foreign Affairs, said that while the evidence in the posses. slon of the British Government was not conclusive, it 'tended generally to show that Nazi bomb- ing attacks had been against military objectives and n'ot baon Indiscriminate

had

directed

bombing of civil populations.

· Mr. Butler added, however, that there had been many civilian casual- ties. Reuter.

YUGOSLAVIA

distant sound of gunfire. During the DENIES

British MOBILISING

perlod between the alarm and the "all clear" signal, several aircraft passed overhead.

Another report states that no bombs were dropped.

SIX PLANES

One man said he saw six aeroplanes flying in two formations of three. They were fired at by A. A. batteries and driven off. Later, the six 'planes returned, but were again driven off. When the air-raid sirens of Lon- don shrieked their warning, buses and cars stopped in the streets and people on the way to work walked calmly into the shelters.

The Underground and other trains continued running, even along the open stretches of the line.

TWO HOURS

The alarm-London's third since war was declared-lasted over two hours. There was no sign of panic.

Passengers, with gas-maske slung over their shoulders, quitted the buses in orderly fashion and went to safety. Inside the shel- ters, city men and business giris rend

newspapers and chatted

choorfully.

SILENT STREETS Meanwhile, steel-helmeted police- men and air-raid wardens clad in de- contamination clothing patrolled the

The first enemy air-raid attempt silent streets. on Britain took place at about 6.30

When the "all

clear" signal was

Belgrade, To-day.

The Yugoslav Government denies that there has been a partial mobilisation of the coun- try.

It is declared that only a num- ber of experts have been called

for up

technical exercises. Reuter.

THOSE SCHARNHORST RUMOURS

Tokyo, To-day. Three German vessels are now tied up in Japanese ports.

They are the Regenberg, 8,000 tons, at Yokohama; the Elbe, 9,000 tone, at Yokohama; and the Scharnhorst,. 18,000 tons, at Kobe.

The Norddeutscher Lloyd agents are not certain whether the ships can leave Japan -Reuter.

NAZIS BUILD 114-SEATER ROAD COACH

London, Aug. 23. Germany is building the biggest mo- tor coaches in the world-114-seaters waighing 23 tons.

They are almost certain to be used for moving troops along the country's special motor roads in time of war.

The motor coaches are huge trailers hauled by a separate vehicle powered by an oil engine developing 150 brake horse-power.

TURNING ON REAR AXLE

Despite a length of 65ft., the "coach" can turn in a reasonable radius be- cause the front axle of the trailer section can be lifted clear of the ground.

This enables it to pivot on the rear axles and thus transforms the whole unit into a two-axle coach for turning purposes.

Hydraulic shock absorbers and sun- shine roofs, which open and close automatically, help to make these super-coaches comfortable.

ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY

;

BRITAIN EXPRESSES REGRET FOR THE ESBJERG BOMBING

London, To-day.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT has expressed pro-

found regret to the Danish Government at the accidental bombing of the town of Esbjerg, in Denmark, by R.A.F. planes.

a.m. yesterday. The German bom-sounded, the dead clty sprang into The Danish Government stated that the bombs drop- hers were driven off before any bomba life, as if by magic.

had been dropped.

Several flights of planes. had

been making for London, but it was Impossible to tell, whather they were British or ( German.

3

1

For a time, all was quiet. The sun shone from a clear sky and crowds of people stood outside their shelters, gazing skyward.

A. A. GUNS Open FIRE Suddenly, anti-aircraft guns open- ed fire and the sky was filled with shell-bursts. Several squadrons of British planes passed over and the sound of machine-gun fire could heard plainly

The raiding" 'planes are said have been seen,

be

Policemen on cycles went through

the streets, carrying large notice

ped on the town were of British make.

boards with the words "Raiders Pass-A strict enquiry carried out by the Air Ministry in

ed."-Reuter.

AND WHAT IT WAB ALL ABOUTI

London, To-day. Reuter is officially informed that the enemy aircraft reported off the East Coast yesterday morning were recon- [nalssance "planes.

Fighter aircraft ware despatch. od, but contact: was not... made- with the enemy, who turned back before reaching the Coast,

On returning, some of our aircraft were mistaken for enemy ...alrératt, to and this caused certain coastal bat

¿teries_to_open fire--Reuter;

London showed that none of the R.A.F. planes which returned from the successful raid on the Nazi Fleet at Wilhelmshaven were responsible.

́ARGENTINE'S NEUTRALITY

Buenos Aires, To-day.

The Air Ministry can only assume that one of the disabled planes” lost - its, bearings in the bad weather pre- valling and bombed Esbjerg in /the' belief that it was unloading its bombs- over the sea, Argen

The British Minister in Copenha- The Cabinet› has decreed the neu-gen has been ordered to express pro... trality of the Argentine Republic found regret at the deplorable accl- | Reuter;

dent-Reuter.