AIR BLOCKADE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1940, Page 5

AIR BLOCKADE

ATTEMPTED BY NAZIS RAIDS ON BRITISH SHIPPING COSTLY & UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS. MAY BE PRELUDE TO MAIN ATTACK. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, July 14. An air commentator in a statement in London today said that the German air attacks are being,focussed more and more on British shipping in an effort to establish a powerful air blockade. These attacks are probably an overture to the main attack, suggesting that this will come soon. "It will certainly be a mass attack on a large scale, with the air operations dovetailing with the land attack just as was the case in the assaults on France and Flanders,” the commentator said. “It will be the most carefullyplanned attack in history and may be combined with intensive air attacks on the big ports.” The Germans, he added, have lost more trained men in the past week’s air raids than there have been civilian deaths as the result of the recent attacks. The fact that their bombers have to have lighter escorts shows that they appreciate the strength of the British air defences. One area in south-west England was raided 20 times in the past week and the highest death-roll in any one raid was five. FURTHER RAIDS ENEMY PLANES REPELLED & PURSUED. RELATIVE FIGURES OF LOSS. LONDON, July 13. German bombers and lighters continued their attacks on shipping lanes and coastal areas today. Nine planes abortively attacked a ship lying outside a Channel port. A dive bomber is believed to have crashed into the sea when it was hit by an anti-aircraft shell. The remaining planes fled across the Channel pursued by fighters. This week has been costly for the Germans. The Air Ministry says that the Germans have lost 79 planes between July 4 and 12 and Britain has lost 56. The Air Ministry’s figures are confined to the German planes whose fate has been undeniably proved, and scores of others have been badly crippled and are unlikely to have reached home. Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of the R.A.F. again inflicted heavy damage on the German Air Force today. In two attempts to raid shipping in the English Channel this afternoon 10 Nazi bombers and fighters were shot down into the sea. The total number of enemy aircraft destroyed today is 12. Several ethers were damaged, and only one British fighter is missing. Yesterday, Daventry reports, six German planes were shot down in and around Britain, five during an attempted attack on shipping in the Straits of Dover. One British plane was lost.

GERMAN CLAIMS AIR & NAVAL OPERATIONS. . BERLIN, July 13. The German High Command states: “Our bombers attacked aerodromes, ports and armament factories in England and Scotland. They destroyed eight bombers on the ground at an aerodrome at Merryn, bombed petrol tanks at Exeter, docks and quays at Portland, Newport and Dundee, and arms factories at Billingham and Newcastle. Bombers also attacked ships off the English east coast and Channel and sank one patrol boat and one merchantman. “German naval forces have captured several merchantmen - with valuable cargoes in overseas waters, and these prizes are arriving at our ports. A U-boat reports sinking 24,684 tons of shipping. ' . British bombers last night again dropped bombs in northern Germany and destroyed several houses and killed a number of civilians. The total, enemy losses yesterday were 13 planes, and five of ours are missing.” another_attack ON BRITISH CONVOY. FIGHTERS ENGAGE RAIDERS. (Received This Day. 10.10 a.m.) LONDON, July 14. German dive-bombers attacked a convoy in the English Channel. Fig t ers engaged the raiders.