TOTAL BAG NOW 187

Southland Times, Issue 24234, 18 September 1940, Page 5

TOTAL BAG NOW 187

Great British Success

On Sunday

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright)

(Received September 17, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 16.

The total bag of German planes on Sunday was 187, including the victims of minesweepers and the vessel Port Auckland, which shot down a German bomber over the Thames. Since the beginning of the war 2170 enemy planes have been destroyed over Britain. In the same period 553 British aircraft have been lost over Britain, but 259 pilots of the latter have been saved.

It was Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of the Fighter Command yesterday who delivered the most smashing defeat on the Luftwaffe it has ever received. More than one-third of the German bombers and fighters massed for what was to have been the enemy’s heaviest attack on London were destroyed and at least 450 of her'trained crews were lost. At least seven of the total of 185 aircraft destroyed were shot down by antiaircraft guns and it is expected that when a fuller investigation has been made the total bag of the anti-aircraft guns will be found to be larger. The Royal Air Force losses were but a seventh of those of the enemy’s. When the Royal Air Force pilots raced to the attack they saw 400 enemy aircraft in little groups of nine, arranged three by three, like a sergeant’s stripes. Each group' of nine bombers had nine Messerschmitt 110 fighterbombers between them. A little arrowhead flight of single-seater Messer'schmitt 109’s was circling above them as high as 35,000 feet. There were no very large bags of enemy aircraft by single squadrons, though some who went up twice reached double figures. Spitfires and Hurricanes kept wearing the enemy down, attacking and attacking and bringing down Dorniers, Heinkels and Messerschmitts by ones, twos and threes. TATE GALLERY DAMAGED

It is now learned that during last week’s air raids on London, a bomb hit the Tate Gallery, famous for its collection of modern British paintings and sculpture and for its special galleries containing works by Turner and Sargent and also modem and foreign artists.

Special prayers of thanks fpr the safety of the fabric were said in St. Paul’s today when the first luncheon service since the removal of the unexploded bomb was held. The officiating canon gave thanks for the courage, skill and devotion to duty of the men who disposed of the bomb.

The service of “water buses” on the Thames introduced in the last few days to relieve the congestion on other transport services through the temporary disorganization of a few routes as the result of enemy bombing has proved highly popular. ■ The service has been accelerated and the number of river craft engaged has increased.

Large gifts from all over the world continue to be sent to the Lord Mayor’s London Air Raid Distress Fund. The Governor-General of New Zealand (Lord Galway) has telegraphed £lO,OOO from the patriotic funds. The sum of £5OOO has been sent from the British colony in Buenos Aires and £lOOO has come from the Maharajah of Durbhanga. Brisbane has cabled another £25,000, the Governor of the United Provinces has sent a lakh of rupees and the British War Relief Committee in New York has sent £5OOO. A fund opened by a Kenya newspaper already amounts to over £BOO. At a meeting of the executive of the Air Raid Distress Fund large grants Were made to meet the needs of the

afflicted boroughs. In one case £5OOO was given. The Lord Mayor, Aiderman Crick, has launched a fund in Sydney on behalf of the victims of the German bombing of Great Britain the aim of which is £250,000. Gifts immediately forthcoming brought the day’s total to £15,000.