GREATEST YET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 221, 17 September 1940, Page 8

GREATEST YET.

I NAZI AIR LOSSES. p Over One-Third Of Raiders s Would Not Return. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 12.30 p.m.) ' RUGBY, Sept. 16. - Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of the Fighter Command ■ yesterday delivered the most smashing" defeat •of the Luftwaffe that it' has ever •received. Over one-third of the •German bombers and fighters massed 3for what was to have been the enemy's attack on London .was destroyed, and at least 450 of her were lost. Z At least seven of the total of 185 destroyed were shot down by -anti-aircraft guns, and it is expected -that when a fuller investigation has Hbeen made the total bag of anti-aircraft rguiis will be found to be larger. The ~R.A.F. losses were but one-seventh of enemy's. Z When R.A.F. pilots raced to the attack saw 400 enemy aircraft in littie "groups of nine, arranged three by three rlike sergeant's stripes. Each group of >nine bombers had nine Messerschmitt fHO fighter-bombers between them and r a little arrowhead flight of single-seater iMesserschmitt 109's circling above them, *as high as 35,000 feet. - 1 There were no very large bags of ..enemy aircraft by single squadrons, 'although some of those who went up ;twice reached double figures. The Spi-t-fires and Hurricanes kept gearing, the down by attacking and re- ; attacking and bringing down Dorniers, "Heinkels and Messerschmitts by ones, •jtwos and threes. J The Sunday triumph of the- R.A.F. very definitely the failure■of the great effort by the'German-Air -.Force to drive R.A.F. fighters from their j-bases in south-eastern coastal areas. -Not one of these bases has had to be permanently, although some have suffered severe damage from time , -to .time. The number of German machines brought down day after day over the south-eastern coastal districts is sufficient evidence of the efficiency of the R.A.F.'s bases in that area..

JAP. CENSORSHIP.

BAN ON MESSAGES TO N.Z. SHANGHAI, Sept! 10. CaMe-ahd radio Offices hf Fekitik and other Japanese-occupied cities arc 'not accepting messages for belligerent countries, including New Zealand and Australia.