THROWN BACK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 225, 21 September 1940, Page 9

THROWN BACK.

ENEMY BOMBERS. Attempt To Raid London Area On Friday Jtlorning. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 1.30 p.m.l RUGBY. :>ept. 20. It was stated by the Air Ministry at 5.46 p.m. that reports so far received show that four enemy aircraft had been shot down in to-day's lighting over Britain. Seven Koyai Air Force fighters had been lost, but the pilots of three arc safe.

A communique issued jointly by the Air Ministry and the Ministry of Home Security stales that this morning a force of enemy aircraft crossed the Kent coast. The enemy did not. penetrate the London area beyond the eastern and south-eastern outskirts, where a few bombs were dropped, but little damage was done, (inly one r-lisht casualty resulted.

Several bombs were dropped on Brighton this morning, and damage was done to houses, causing a number of casualties, some fataL The enemy formations were engaged by K.A.F. lighters, but cloud conditions made interceptions difficult.

The Air Ministry states that in Thursday V» actions live enemy bombers were shot down. Xo K.A.F. lighters were lost.

reports state that a protecting screen of German lighters flew below high-flying enemy bombers of the first wave of about 30 attac-kinjr aircraft, which had broken formation after crossing the Channel.

Changing direction to avoid fierce anti-aircraft lire, they proceod»-d inland hotly engaged by British lighters. Most of the fighting took place above the fastmoving clouds and lasted some 75 minutes. Then the battle drifted over the Channel. Watchers state that three enemy aircraft were seen t-o crash into the sea. A Junkers SS. after being hit by antiaircraft fire, in last night's raid on London, burst into flames and fell, demolishing a house in Merton Park, a western suburb, of which the occupants were in a shelter and were only slightly injured. One of the airmen who baled out was captured three miles away.

Another niglit raiding -Junkers fell near Cambridge after being engaged bv fighters, and a third was reported to have been brought down in Essex—the victim of anti-aircraft fire.