APPARENT AIM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 223, 19 September 1940, Page 7

APPARENT AIM.

WEARING DOWN R.A.F.

Wednesday's Daylight Raids' Over England. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 2 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 18. A description of Wednesday's daylight attacks by the German Air Force on the south-east of England was given late on Wednesday night by the Air Ministry news service. Five separate waves of bombers and fighters were sent over at intervals between 9.30 a.m. and 8 p.m., with the apparent object of wearing down the R.A.F. lighter defence. The assaults were strenuous, but the results were disappointing to the enemy, who lost 46 aircraft, as ascertained up to 10 p.m. Forty-five were shot down by R.A.F. fighters and one by anti-aircraft fire.

Each wave of German aircraft followed roughly the same course, crossing the Kent coast between Dungeness and the North Foreland, and each was met by Hurricanes and Spitfires. One raid of 15 bombers surrounded, ae one R.A.F. pilot said, by a sphere of Messerschinitt 109 fighters, was dispersed so quickly when the Spitfires met them near the Kentish coast that only three British pilots got a chance to fire. A patrol of Hurricanes met a formation of enemy bombers heavily protected by Messerschmitts stepped up in tiers above them. Near the Isle of Sheppey, on the way 'up the Thames Estuary, the Hurricanes made a headon attack on the bombers. "They jettisoned their bombs even before we attacked," one of the Hurricane pilots eaid, "and they went straight out over Folkestone." The third and fourth attacks came in quick succession. Soon after 4 p.m. another 100 enemy 'planes came in over Kent again, making for the Thames Estuary, and before this raid was over another 250 bombers and fighters were already on their way, one formation of 100 coming in hy Dungeness. It was these two attacks which took the roughest handling from the British fighters.

A squadron of Spitfires over Kent shot down five 'bombers and one fighterbomber, as well as sharing in the destruction of another Heinkel. Better was to come when a single equadron of Hurricanes near the Thames Eetuary shot down eight Dorniers and three Junkers, as well as sharing in the destruction of three more. In the same fight two other Hurricane patrols accounted for nine., more bombers alone.