BATTLE RAGING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 May 1940, Page 5

BATTLE RAGING

MAGNIFICENT DEEDS OF ROYAL AIR FORCE At Least 77 Enemy Planes Destroyed In One Day THIRTY-SEVEN SHOT DOWN WITHOUT BRITISH LOSS NAVY IN ACTION DAY AND NIGHT The Ministry of Information states, according to a Daventry broadcast, that in view of the increased P re ® sure ,. “ northern and southern flanks of the British Exp edi nona y Force and the associated French force, these troops had been forced back towards the coast, where a battle is now raging. The operations are being carried out with great skill and daring. Troops not immediately engaged have been evacuated with tne assistance of the Royal Navy. • The R.A.F. has been constantly engaged with the enemy and over 70 German aircraft have been destroyed and many others damaged. , One squadron of new Defiance planes destroyed 37 oi tn enemy without loss to themselves. British troops are operating in the sector south ot tne Somme. The Ministry of Information states that evacuation operations are being carried out with success. Numbers of troops had already reached England. An Admiralty communique states that wounded, with a large number of other elements, have already been withdrawn. A French communique states that French troops m the north are fighting incessantly and in good order. Fighting is proceeding on the greater part of the Somme front. There is no change in the situation on the Aisne and the eastern region. An Air Ministry comfmunique states that in order to relieve the pressure on the flanks of the Allied armies, R.A.F. fighters repeatedly broke up enemy formations of fighters and bombers. At least 77 German planes were destroyed by British fighters during the day. Medium bombers attacked transport columns and enemy formations and destroyed machine-gun posts. All the British aircraft returned and one attacking Messerschmitt was shot down. Operations by heavy bombers continued. Units of the Fleet Air Arm, carrying out bombing operations on the Belgian and French coast, shot down two enemy aircraft and damaged two others. Ten of these aircraft are missing, but the crews of three have been rescued. In the Narvik area 13 enemy aircraft have been destroyed. The Admiralty states that the Royal Navy has been and is giving all possible help and support to the B.E.F. on the French and Belgian coast. Warships are giving supporting and covering fire and have inflicted considerable losses on the German advance forces. Operations are being conducted day and night. The German High Command claims to have inflicted very heavy losses on naval craft but as usual these are grossly exaggerated. Operations of this kind cannot be carried out without loss and three destroyers and certain small auxiliary craft have been lost. One small transport of 689 tons has been sunk. The operations are proceeding.