AIR BATTLES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 November 1939, Page 5

AIR BATTLES

GERMAN LOSSES ON WEST FRONT TWO PLANES BROUGHT DOWN IN FLAMES. ANOTHER BELIEVED LOST IN NORTH SEA. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.10 a.m.) PARIS. November 22. Two German planes were brought down in flames in air battles on the Western Front. Another is believed to have been brought down in the North Sea. There is great aerial activity near the Luxembourg frontier, according to a Brussels message. RAIDERS PURSUED FIGHTING IN THE THAMES ESTUARY. (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, November 22. British chasers went up in pursuit of a German plane over the Thames estuary. Villagers saw the raider flying so low that it appeared to skim the rooftops. The antiaircraft fire was tremendous as the plane narrowly missed an orchard and rose over some trees with pursuit planes on its tail. Onlookers said it would be a miracle if the raider reached home safely. Reports from different parts of the South Coast indicated the presence of several enemy planes today. An official description of last night’s raid on the east coast says the British coastal defences fought a machine-gun duel with a German seaplane, which dived low and machine-gunned the defenders. There were brisk exchanges for a few seconds, after which the seaplane disappeared in a fog of clouds. BRITISH SUCCESS REFUTATION OF GERMAN CLAIM. PLANE THAT DID NOT GET SAFELY AWAY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) RUGBY, November 22. The Admiralty and the Air Ministry announce that the Germans yesterday claimed that the reconnaissance aircraft. which raided England on Monday. fulfilled their tasks according to plan. One German aircraft, the Heinkel 111., succeeded in reaching the outskirts of London. Pilots of the R.A.F. fighters, who chased this raider from the Thames estuary out to sea and engaged it, reported that they saw part of the enemy plane fall off as it dived steeply towards the clouds below. It | was not known how badly the Heinkel was damaged, therefore no claim was made that it had been brought down. Confirmation of the success of the attack on the plane was received when a British destroyer yesterday picked up two German flying officers and one rating from a rubber boat in the North Sea. The prisoners, two of whom were badly wounded, were from this Heinkel 111. aircraft, which was shot down ■ by R.A.F. fighters at about 1 p.m. on Monday. The Heinkel had been at- ‘ tempting a photographic reconnais- ■ sance over the neighbourhood of Lon- ; don and the Thames Estuary.