RETURN BLOW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 September 1940, Page 5

RETURN BLOW

ATTACK ON GERMAN AIR BASES IN PAS DE CALAIS AREA. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.7 a.m.) RUGBY, September 4. “From soon after 9 o’clock last night until 1 o’clock this morning,” states the Air Ministry, “R.A.F. bombers made a series of counterattacks on advanced striking bases of the German Air Force in the Pas de Calais area.

“The operation opened with an attack by several bombers on the Le Touquet aerodrome and high explosives were dropped on the landing grounds. Later aircraft maintained the attack, and the pilot of one saw six separate fires on an aerodrome.

“Another squadron bombed the St Omer Aerodrome and scored hits on the landing ground, which were followed by explosions. The March Aerodrome, at Calais, was attacked at 12.15 a.m. and at 1 a.m. another raider bombed the airfield of Guines, southeast of Calais. Further inland two raiders were bombing the Abbeville aerodrome when a battery of heavy anti-aircraft guns began firing at one of them. The other aircraft dropped a salvo of high explosives on the guns, which at once ceased firing.”

RAID ON LONDON FiVE GERMAN MACHINES SHOT DOWN. IN SOUTH-EAST INLAND' AREA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) LONDON, September 4. London had another air raid lasting for nearly two hours in the early afternoon. British fighters shot down at least five German raiders in a battle over a south-east inland area during the afternoon. No bombs were dropped. The German machines fled after they had been split up by Hurricanes. Anti-air-craft guns opened up in the Thames Estuary against planes flying at a great height.