MONGOL BORDER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 June 1939, Page 5

MONGOL BORDER

FURTHER AIR FIGHTING REPORTED. BOTH SIDES DEFEATING INVADERS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, June 27. Another Manchukuo-Outer Mongolia frontier air clash occurred in the Lake Buirnor area yesterday. Both sides claim to have won. A Moscow communique says that 50 Soviet planes repulsed 60 invading Japanese fighters, destroying 25 and chasing the rest across the border. The Soviet lost only three machines. A Tokio communique says that three Japanese planes fought and repulsed GO invading Soviet planes, bringing down six. REPORTS IN CONFLICT. JAPANESE RAID ON AIR BASE. LONDON, June 27. Grossly conflicting reports from both sides admit another major air battle between Japanese and Soviet Mongolian planes at dawn today in the vicinity of Lake Buinor. Tokio claims that the Japanese planes, of which three were lost, brought down 98 out of 200 Soviet Mongolian machines, after which they raided the Outer Mongol air base in Tamsk and set fire to 30 planes. Moscow claims that Soviet planes brought down 25 out of 60 Japanese planes violating the frontier, and lost three planes. GREAT AIR VICTORY. CLAIMED BY JAPANESE. (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) HSINKING, June 27. The Japanese now claim the “greatest victory in history,” and declare they brought down 104 Soviet planes in Manchukuo and sixteen in a later battle.