AIR BATTLES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 July 1941, Page 5

AIR BATTLES

.FOUGHT OVER’ FRANCE & THE CHANNEL EIGHT ENEMY FIGHTERS DESTROYED. I AT COST OF THREE BRITISH | MACHINES. LONDON, July 21. Eight enemy fighters were destroyed over Northern France and the Channel today, states an. Air .Ministry communique. Fighter squadrons which accompanied bombers over France had grand shooting. “There was plenty of fun,” was the way one pilot put it. Three British fighters were lost. SHATTERING BLOWS STRUCK BY BRITISH BOMBERS. NIGHT RAIDS ON COLOGNE & OTHER TARGETS. LONDON, July 21. Much material damage was done in last night’s R.A.F. raid on Cologne and other centres in Germany and in occupied countries. A fire estimated to be a mile long was seen among factories on the outskirts of Cologne and a blaze in the docks at Rotterdam could be seen 100 miles away. No British planes were lost in these operations. AIR MINISTRY REPORT ACTIVITIES OF COASTAL COMMAND. i British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.30 a.m.) RUGBY, July 21. An Air Ministry communique states: “It has now been confirmed that our bombers shot down another enemy fighter, making two in all. during the attack on Germany on the night of July 19. “Aaircraft of the Coastal Command have been engaged in the usual extensive patrols over the sea. From these one of our aircraft is missing.”

NOTHING TO REPORT NO AIR ATTACKS ON BRITAIN IN DAYLIGHT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY. July 21. Once again the official communique, dealing with daylight air activity over Britain, states that there is nothing to report.

FIRES ABLAZE IN COLOGNE & ROTTERDAM. VISIBLE FROM MANY MILES AWAY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, July 21. R.A.F. pilots who were returning from last night’s raids on Germany and occupied territory report seeing a fire a mile long in Cologne—one of many—and a blaze in Rotterdam which was visible a hundred miles away. A large force was out and. in spite of the weather, found its targets in industrial areas of Cologne and other objectives in Western Germany and docks at Rotterdam. Over Cologne the crews watched the results of their bombing through gaps in the clouds. There was a very brilliant fire a mile long among the factories on the outskirts of the city. Elsewhere ten other fires were burning at a time and high explosives were bursting in the midst of a large industrial building which was already burning fiercely. At Rotterdam there was a formidable fire among the docks. The glow was seen from a distance of 100 miles on the way back. A pillar of dense black smoke rose 6,000 feet and hid a large part of the docks, while flames lit up warehouses in front of the smoke. At Aachen bombs were seen to burst among factory buildings. After these successful attacks, the whole large force came safely home, though the Germans put up a strong barrage and night fighters were about. One Messerschmitt 110 was hit and driven off in the course of a combat.