AIR BATTLES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 196, 28 May 1940, Page 5

AIR BATTLES.

TWENTY NAZIS DOWNED.

A LIKE NUMBER OUT OF ACTION.

LONDON, May 26.

The Air Ministry reports: “Between 5.30 and 9.30 a.m. to-day, Royal Air Force squadrons shot down at least 20 German bombers, and put another 20 out of action. There were only five British casualties in these four hours of fierce fighting. “A continuous air battle was fought over the French coast between Calais and Dunkirk. Pilots reported that the ‘air was filled with aii'craft.’ A squadron-leader spoke of encountering large masses 'of Messersclimitt 109’s. “One formation of Junkers light bombers was trying to bomb ships when a Spitfire squadron’ approached. Five Messersehmitt 110 twin-engined fighters protecting the bombers were put out of action, and one bomber was destroyed. This brought the squadron’s tiag of enemy aircraft since Friday morning to 32.V. ‘ Defensive Ri^lfes^Jßjokerif***^

“Twenty Messersclimitt llO’s were surprised 17,000 feet* OVef Calais. Approaching from the sun, British fighters broke up the defensive circles the Nazi fighters tried. to,.|oi;pi.,Tlie Messerschmitts twisted and turned in theii efforts ;tp manpepvre intq .u, ; ni.9f;p.,-fa-vourable position, hut the British fighters put five out of action.

“An hour and a-lialf later the same squadron destroyed. five more Messerschmitts, damaged another five, and brought down an Army co-operation aircraft.

“A fight starting at 10,000 feet ended low over French fields with Junkers 87 dive bombers hedge-hopping in all directions as they tried to escape from the attacking Spitfires. Before protecting Messerschmitts could arrive,- - the Spitfires had shot down five and damaged three.” It was officially stated that Coastal Command aircraft reported to-day that oil tanks hit at Rotterdam by bombs several days ago were still burning. Areas which escaped previous attacks were bombed, and the aircraft crews reported a steady increase in the size of the fires.

‘‘High up on our way home we could see that the whole area was a red, glowing mass, and the wharves, docks, and plant all seemed to be-burning as well,” , said one pilot. The crew of the last aircraft could still see the fire from 30 miles oil the Dutch coast as they flew away in the early dawn. All the aircraft returned safely. Further official details of Royal Air Force activity during tlio night of Saturday and Sunday show that another ammunition and petrol dump was blown up by one of the bombers engaged in the operations over the Rhineland and in the rear of the battlefield of Belgium and France. The attack was made in the early morning, the attacking aircraft making several runs over the target. Nine eombs were dropped, and from the explosions that followed it was, evident that most of the bombs found their mark. Before the raiders departed a whole wood was well ablaze. Troops Attacked. One hundred 1 miles away from this target another bomber arrived over a bridge just as German troops were crossing. Direct hits were scored with the first salvo of bombs, the bridge almost breaking in two. The pilot then came down to disorganise that part of the column wfich had missed the first assault. A third aircraft successfully attacked another bridge and later did considerable damage to a railway junction. In the rear of the German army a-troop’ train and a goods train were derailed. The troop train received a direct hit and within a few minutes' ,the flames had spread from the engine to the rear of the guard’s van. The goods train, which was . stationary near, a railway siding, was set on fire by bombs which fell alongside,, 'and.: ifii'es were also started in the goods yard. In Germany, attacks were: made on two aerodromes and oiv ' a • cbhYoy of 12 motor vehicles; which wad machinegunned from a height of TOO feet after the rear of the convoy had been thrown into confusion by a direct/ hit’ by a heavy bomb, • ■ '-; r r <