AIR BATTLES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 July 1940, Page 5

AIR BATTLES

♦ ENEMY RAIDERS REPELLED IN ATTACKS ON BRITISH COASTS. PROTECTION OF SHIPPING. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 24. Since Hie small hours of this mon ling, states an Air Atinistry bulletin, Spitfires and anti-aircraft guns have been beating off the attacks of German bombers, fighters and mine-laying aircraft on ships and shipping routes round our coasts. Twelve enemy aircraft are known to have been destroyed, 10 of them fighters, and two by anti-aircraft guns. Two R.A.F. fighters are missing, but the pilot of one is known to be safe. A squadron of Spitfires fought the day's biggest air battle when patrolling in the morning off the south-east coast.' They spotted 18 German bombers in arrowheads of three, then three Messerschmitt 109's above and behind the bombers, then another 12 Messerschmitt 109's higher still, and finally a formation of Heinkel 113 fighters. The Spitfire pilots attacked in line astern. One of them, who attacked a Messeerschmitt, had fired a burst of only a fraction of a second when the Messerschmitt burst into flames and the German pilot was shot out together with pieces of his aircraft. What was afterward discovered to be a rubber dinghy, the first known to be carried by a Meserschmitt 109, also fell out.

Before driving the enemy cavalcade back over the Channel, the Spitfires destroyed five Messerschmitt 109’s. A rain cloud -preventing them from seeing what happened to nine others which were hit by their bullets. TOLL OF PLANES HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES. LONDON, July 25. Since the war began air raids on this country and our shipping routes have cost Germany 250 machines, as against 35 British fighters lost. The enemy,-of course, has lost vastly greater numbers of planes in the fighting over Poland, Holland, Belgium and France. Five more German planes were shot down round the British coast yesterday, Daventry reports. In a series of attacks on shipping on the south-east coast, four German planes were shot down, and the fifth was destroyed on the north-east coast. About 80 German planes took part in one attack on a convoy. Huge columns of water shot up near the ships, but none appeared to be hit. The day’s tally of five is about the daily average brought down since June 18, that is, for 38 days. The total is now 188. SHORTAGE OF CREWS GERMANS ASKING BOYS TO VOLUNTEER. LONDON, July 25. An indication that the German Air Force lacks trained reserves is shown by the fact that the German radio has launched a campaign encouraging youths to volunteer. Among the crews which have been shot down in raids over Britain have been boys of between 16 and 17 years of age. ATTACKS ON SHIPS HUNDRED PLANES ENGAGED. GERMANS PUT TO FLIGHT. (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, July 25. A great battle, in which one hundred planes participated, followed an unsuccessfuPGerman attack on a convoy off the South-East coast of England. German bombers came in three groups, the first of which attacked the ships. The other two bombed the land. Then they returned to France. Another formation of fifteen, apparently fighters, flew in from the Channel at a great height. There was fierce anti-aircraft gunfire and R.A.F. machines roared into action and a fierce battle resulted in headlong flight of the raiders. NINE IN ALL ENEMY PLANES SHOT DOWN. ROUND BRITISH COASTS YESTERDAY. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) RUGBY, July 25. An Air Ministry communique states: In the course of a series of attempted attacks on shipping off the South-East and South-West coasts today, four enemy aircraft have been shot down by R.A.F. fighters and anti-aircraft guns. A fifth enemy aircraft was shot down by fighters off the North-East coast of Scotland this morning. A later Air Ministry communique states that an additional four enemy aircraft, making nine in all, were shot down in engagements on the British coast today.