AIR WARFARE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 February 1941, Page 5

AIR WARFARE

four german machines shot down

BRITISH ATTACKS ON BREST.

ONE PLANE REPORTED LOST.

Four German planes were destroyed over Britain yesterday without loss by R.A.F. fighters.

Two fighter-bombers were shot down in the outer Thames Estuary. A fighter was destroyed off the coast ,of Kent and a fourth machine was shot down over the sea after it had made an attack on an East Coast town in which some damage was done to houses and utility services and a small number of casualties was caused.

British bombers, in spite of very bad weather, successfully attacked Brest and other objectives in occupied France on Monday night. The attack on Brest was made by two waves, the second attack being made just before dawn. One British plane was lost.

LONDON HOSPITALS

DAMAGE IN RECENT RAIDS

• British Official Wireless.) • Received This Day. 9.57 a.m.) RUGBY. February 4. The Middlesex Hospital and the National Temperance Hospital were among the London buildings damaged in recent air raids. MORNING CALL ON EAST ANGLIAN TOWN. NO BOMBS DROPPED. (Received This Day. 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 4. Enemy planes made their usual morning call on an East Anglian town but no bombs were dropped.

SWIFT PUNISHMENT

INFLICTED ON ENEMY BOMBER.

AIR MINISTRY REPORT

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY. February 4

The destruction today of four German aeroplanes, without British loss, is reported in an Air Ministry and Home Security Ministry communique, which says: "This morning a single enemy bomber dropped bombs on a town on the east coast. Some damage was done to houses and utility services and a fire was started but was soon put out. There was a small number of casualties. The bomber was shot down into the sea oil' the Suffolk coast by our fighters. "There has been little other enemy activity over this country today. A few bombs have been dropped in Kent but little damage and no serious casualties have been reported. “This afternoon our fighters, without loss to themselves, shot down two enemy fighter-bombers and an enemy fighter.”

EASE COAST TOWN SUFFERS ITS WORST DAMAGE OF WAR. EFFORTS TO SAVE RAIDER CREW. (Received This Day, 11.15 a.mJ LONDON. February 4. An East Coast town suffered its worst damage of the war this morning, when a lone raider, which later was destroyed, dived from the clouds and dropped a line of about twenty bombs, straddling the town An anti-aircraft shell hit the plane as it turned towards the sea. A lifeboat raced out to attempt to save the members of the crew, while in the town the raider had passed, a line of rescue squads toiled to dig out civilians buried under wreckage. Two German airmen are believed to have been saved. The town's casualties are not yet known.