SEVENTY-EIGHT PLANES SHOT DOWN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 August 1940, Page 5

SEVENTY-EIGHT PLANES SHOT DOWN

During, Tuesday’s Battles Over Britain SLACKENING OF ACTIVITY YESTERDAY ENEMY LOSES ANOTHER SEVENTEEN MACHINES In Tuesday’s raids on Britain the Germans lost 78 planes, including' 64 bombers, at a cost of 13 British planes, a Daventry broadcast reports. Ten of the pilots of these British machines are safe, though three of them are wounded. There was less German air activity round the British coast yesterday and only 17 German machines are known to have been destroyed. An Air Ministry communique states that German attacks were made yesterday morning on air barrage balloons over DoVer and a lightship. An attempt was also made to bomb an aerodrome in Kent and two enemy dive bombers were shot down by anti-aircraft gun fire. The R.A.F. engaged the enemy at several points and inflicted losses. Scattered attacks were also made at other places. At Southampton a high-explosive bomb caused slight damage to a stationary train and injured several people. At Hastings a house was destroyed by a high explosive bomb and several people were injured. Fifteen enemy aircraft were destroyed yesterday by the R.A.F., in addition to two shot down by antiaircraft gun fire. Four British fighters are missing.

BRITISH ONSLAUGHT Junkers Factory Intensively Bombed AS WELL AS MANY AERODROMES Strong' forces of the R.A.F. bombed a Junkers aircraft factory, a munition factory and various military objectives in the Ruhr, besides 14 aerodromes in Germany, Holland, Belgium and France. One British machine is missing.

The Junkers factory was systematically bombed by relays of aircraft for over an hour. Many direct hits with heavycalibre bombs were scored.