AIR OFFENSIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 September 1941, Page 5

AIR OFFENSIVE

SUCCESSFUL BRITISH OPERATIONS SEVENTEEN NAZI FIGHTERS SHOT DOWN. ELEVEN R.A.F. PLANES LOST. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON. September 18. It is officially announced that seventeen German fighters were shot down in the course of the R.A.F.’s daylight .offensives over France and the Belgian and Dutch coasts. We lost two bombers and nine fighters. Two of the fighter pilots are safe. An Australian squadron destroyed four, and a New Zealand squadron flying in the same wing three, of the seventeen enemy fighters. The Air Ministry states that late yesterday afternoon four Fighter Command aircraft attacked four enemy mine-sweepers off the Belgian coast, sinking two and setting fire to one. The fourth was left holed and listing heavily. All our aircraft returned. NIGHT ATTACKS LE HAVRE & OTHER PORTS BOMBED. NO BRITISH PLANES LOST. LONDON. September 19. Heavy damage was caused to the docks at Le Havre by the R.A.F. last night. Other harbour works, shipping and oil tanks suffered severely. Enemy activity over Britain in the last 24 hours has been slight. This afternoon bombs were dropped on the Thames Estuary area, but there was no damage and no casualties. Last night bombs were dropped at two points in South Wales and in East Anglia.