TWELVE SHOT DOWN ROUND BRITISH COASTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 July 1940, Page 7

TWELVE SHOT DOWN ROUND BRITISH COASTS

Big Battle in South-Eastern Area PROGRESS OF EVACUATION MEASURES RECEPTION REGIONS RELATIVELY SAFE Twelve German aircraft were shot down round the British coasts yesterday, a Daventry broadcast reports. In one battle over South-East England 60 British and German fighters were engaged. Little material damage was done and there were few casualties. Every German bomb that has fallen on a town in Britain has on an average killed or injured three people. The large scale evacuation of people from danger areas is to continue. During the past six weeks 250,000 children have been evacuated from London and towns of the North-East and distributed in country districts. It is fifteen times safer in reception areas than it is in evacuation areas. ATTACKS ON ENEMY TERRITORY. R.A.F. raids on the enemy include attacks on aircraft factories, oil depots, railway communications, goods yards, and twelve aerodromes in Holland and Germany. One German fighter was shot down and one British machine is missing. In addition to usual patrol and escort duties, aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked shipping in Dunkirk Harbour and shot down an enemy flying-boat. Enemy oil tanks were also bombed. A German escort ship of 600 tons, carrying two main guns and six anti-aircraft guns, was hit by a torpedo in the eastern part of the North Sea, on Tuesday night. The attack was carried out by Swordfish aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm.