AIR CONFLICT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1940, Page 5

AIR CONFLICT

HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES AT DUNKIRK UNRELENTING R.A.F. ATTACKS. MANY NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. LONDON, June 1. The air battle over the Dunkirk beaches began again at dawn on Saturday. Soon the R.A.F. fighter patrols had shot down 14 Nazi fighters and seriously damaged five more. In the last two days they., have accounted for 129 German planes. All Friday this battle in the skies raged unceasingly, while on the sands below the withdrawal of the Allied troops continued. Hour after hour, German bombers, protected by swarms of fighters, came over in an attempt to harass the evacuating army. Hour after hour, the R.A.F. fighters waged relentless war against them. At Dusk the British fighter pilots had shot down 56 bombers and fighters, of which 42 were seen to crash in the sea. Though the British fighters were heavily outnumbered —sometimes by more than five to one —a squadron of Spitfires during a single patrol yesterday shot down a mixed bag of two Messerschmitt 110 twin-engined fighters two Junkers 88 dive bombers, a Messerschmitt 109 and a Dornier 215 bomber.

On a dawn patrol this morning another Spitfire squadron in a few minutes accounted for six Messerschmitt 110’s, three Messerschmitt 109’s, and probably three more Messerschmitt 110’S. , The Air Ministry announced: We destroyed or seriously damaged 5G enemy planes yesterday on the northeastern coast of France. Our dawn patrol fighters over Dunkirk today shot down ton German fighters. One of our planes failed to return. Two of our bombers and one reconnaissance plane were lost during bombing operations in Flanders yesterday. Sixteen of our fighters did not return yesterday. TORPEDO-BOAT SUNK. “Our naval aircraft sank an enemy torpedo-boat off the Belgian coast todqy. Our medium and heavy bombers yesterday and last night bombed the enemy in ’ Flanders and obtained hits against marching troops, motor transport columns and heavy artillery. Our planes also destroyed lockgates and bridges.” Three Nazi motor torpedo-boats prowling off the Belgian coast in the hope of attacking British transports were attacked by aircraft this morning. One was sunk. Aircraft belonging to the fleet air arm unit co-operating with the coastal command spotted the motor torpedoboats cruising in line astern. They opened fire on an aeroplane which dropped a line of six bombs. A minute after the bursts the pilot saw two of the motor-boats stationary and silent. There was no sign of the .third.

OIL STORES DESTROYED. The petrol and oil stores at Rotterdam, which were again bombed yesterday and early this morning by aircrafi of the coastal command, are believed by the crews 'of the aircraft concerned, states an Air Ministry bulletin issued this morning, to be now totally destroyed.