ROUND BRITISH COASTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 July 1940, Page 5

ROUND BRITISH COASTS

Germans Lose 28 Machines In One Day FIVE SMALL BRITISH SHIPS SUNK AND OTHERS DAMAGED EXTENSIVE BOMBING ATTACKS MADE ON ENEMY TERRITORY The Germans lost 28 planes in actions around the British coast on Thursday, the biggest bag the defenders have achieved in one day, a Daventry broadcast states. Some of the enemy machines fell to anti-aircraft fire but most of them were shot down by the R.A.F., at a cost of five fighters, though the pilots of two are known to be safe. The German attacks were concentrated mostly on a convoy of 21 small coastal vessels, escorted by armed trawlers. An Admiralty communique disposes of the German claims by stating that five small ships, totalling 5,100 tons, were sunk and that five others, totalling 5,130 tons, were damaged. After the attack by the bombers, nine German motor torpedo-boats approaching the convoy were chased off by two destroyers and two motor torpedo-boats. When returning, the destroyers were heavily attacked by German dive-bombers. The destroyers suffered some damage and in one there were some casualties. The loss of the armed trawler Fleming in an action with German dive bombers was also announced. The ship was hit amidships and sank. Another trawler scored a direct hit on one of the German planes, which flew into pieces. A second German machine was seriously damaged. R.A.F. bombers carried out extensive raids over enemy territory on Thursday night with the object of reducing the striking power of the German air force. Oil supplies at many places were set on fire; three aircraft factories were bombed and fourteen aerodromes in Holland and Germany were attacked, besides a canal, docks, blast furnaces and goods yards. An enemy fighter which attempted to intercept the British machines was shot down. From all these operations five British machines are missing. Three more German planes were shot down round the British coast yesterday. An Air Ministry communique states that an enemy fighter was shot down in the Channel about midday and in the afternoon a second enemy fighter was shot down off the south-east coast. An earlier communique stated that an enemy bomber was shot down in the south-west of England early in the morning.