HOT RECEPTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24408, 20 September 1940, Page 5

HOT RECEPTION

TOE GERMAN RAIDERS LOSSES ON WEDNESDAY AT LEAST FORTY-SIX (British Official Wireless) (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) RUGBY, Sept. 18. A description of Wednesday’s daylight attacks by the German Air Force on south-east 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. fighter defence. The assaults were strenuous, but the results were disappointing to the enemy, who lost 46 aircraft, as acertained 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, Dungeness and the North Foreland, and each was met by Hurricanes and Spitfires. One raid of 15 bombers surrounded, as one R.A.F. pilot said, by a sphere of Messerschmitt 109 fighters, was dispersed so quickly when 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. Hurricanes made a head-on attack on bombers. “ They jettisoned their bombs even before we attacked,” one of the Hurricane pilots said, “ and 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 was over another 250 bombers and fighters were already on their way, one formation of 100 coming in by Dungeness. It was these two attacks which took the roughest handling from British fighters. A squadron of Spitfires over Kent shot' down five bombers and one fighterbomber, as well as sharing ih the destruction of another Heinkel. Better was to come. A single squadron of Hurricanes near the Thames Estuary 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. It is now known that two of the Messerschmitt 109’s which were brought down yesterday over Britain collided in mid-air. They were members of a group of seven Messerschmitts which were attacked by a single Spitfire pilot. “ They immediately turned for home in such disorder that two of them collided and crashed,” he said. Few Raiders Reach London A joint Air Ministry and Home Security communique states:— “ Enemy air activity to-day has been mainly confined to the south-eastern area. Formations of enemy aircraft crossed the coast of Kent on several occasions during the day and spread inland towards London and the Thames Estuary. Few of them reached London, and no bombs are reported to have been dropped on this area. A number of bombs were dropped, mainly near the Thames Estuary, but damage appears to have been caused mainly to dwelling houses, and the number of casualties reported is small, though it includes some fatally injured. The enemy has been continuously engaged by our fighters and anti-air-craft guns throughout the day. One of the 46 enemy aircraft destroyed was brought down by anti-aircraft guns.” Air raid warnings have been sounded seven times in the London area since dawn. Most of the warnings were in operation only a few minutes, the exception being one after mid-day, which lasted an hour and three-quarters. In all cases the raiders were driven off before reaching the outskirts.