BATTLES IN GALE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21221, 18 September 1940, Page 8

BATTLES IN GALE

WAVES OF NAZI RAIDERS DRIVEN BACK BY BRITISH ROUTING OF FORMATIONS (Official Wireless) (Received Sept. 18, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 17 The Air Ministry news service states: After having their bomber squadrons cut to rags and tatters in Sunday's fights over London the Germans on Tuesday afternoon sent more than 200 fighters across the Channel. Battles were fought in a 100-mile-an-hour gale over Kent, Sussex, Surrey and the Thames Estuary. Although our fighter pilots were handicapped by heavy clouds when searching for the enemy they destroyed four aircraft gunners on the south-east coast, and shot down two. The first formation of Messerschmitts approached the sea coast at 3 p.m. They continued to come over in waves of 20 and 30 for the next half-hour. At 25,000 feet over Maidstone 12 Spitfires routed a formation of Messerschmitts.

Although these famous Fighter Command auxiliary pilots do not claim to have definitely destroyed any German machines, the pilots when they landed said that one was swaying in a dive with white smoke pouring from the fuselage, a second was flying very slowly at 1000 feet, and a third was spinning out of control.