ATTACK ON A CONVOY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 248, 27 July 1940, Page 5

ATTACK ON A CONVOY.

FIVE SMALL VESSELS SUNK.

EXAGGERATED GERMAN CLAIMS. (United Press Association. —Copyright 1 . (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, July 26. The Admiralty announces: “The Gorman communique claiming to have severely damaged a further 12,000 tons of shipping in an air attack on a convoy in the English Channel yesterday is grossly exaggerated. “The facts are that a convoy, consisting of 21 small coastal vessels, escorted by naval trawlers, was heavily attacked by successive waves, each of about 30 German aircraft. Five small vessels of a total tonnage of 5104 were sunk, and a further five, totalling 5133 tons were damaged. One of them, a 554-ton coaster, had to be beached. “Shortly after these air attacks nine motor torpedo-boats were sighted proceeding to attack the convoy. Two of our destroyers and two motor torpedoboats intercepted the enemy forces, which Were chased and engaged for about 15 minutes. The damage inflicted in the enemy was not observed because of smoke. While returning from this chase our destroyers were twice heavily attacked by dive bombers. .“It was during air fighting after the enemy attacks on the convoy and destroyers that a large proportion of the endmy aircraft destroyed yesterday were shot down.” British Official Wireless.

DAMAGE TO HOUSES.

BOMBS IN SOUTH-EAST TOWN. UNLOADED TO AID ESCAPE (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) LONDON, July 26. A farmer captured the pilot of a German bomber which was brought down in the south-west of England this morning. The three other occupants 'were killed. In addition to an attack on a town on the south-east coast of England, bombs fell on another southeastern town this morning apparently froma n enemy plane that was unloading while pursued by fighters. Several houses and a school were damaged. There wore some casualties.

INTENSE ACTIVITY. FAVOUR OF ROYAL AIR FORCE. HOUSEMAID CAPTURES GERMAN. LONDON, July 26. The Air Ministry has confirmed that 11 bombers and nine fighters were, brought down yesterday. Five of our. fighters were lost, but two of the pilots are known to be safe. Intense air activity again turned very much in favour of the Royal Air Force. In one case a Messerschmitt fighter dived into the sea without a shot being fired. Chased by four Messerschmitts, a single Spitfire which had become separated from its squadron dived five thousand feet in an attempt to avoid its pursuers. One Messerschmitt also dived, hut when the Spitfire straightened out 50 feet from the sea the Messerschmitt was travelling so fast that- it was unable to pull out of the dive and crashed straight into the sea. On another occasion during . the afternoon Hurricane pilots, flying nearly four miles high over the Channel, engaged three of the now German Jaguar bombers, shooting one down. ■

Another German bomber crashed in a field near a south-west village, after a combat with a fighter. Members of the crew parachuted and were captured. A housemaid captured one of the four German airmeu who bailed out over south-west England. She left an airraid shelter to turn off a gas iron she had forgotten. An 18-year-old German landed almost beside her. He was badly shaken. She took him into the kitchen and gave him whisky. A member of the Home Guard soon arrived, having watched the airmen jump out, and having arrested two of the others. The fourth airman’s parachute failed to open. The Home Guard said all the Germans ivoro very shaky and terrified of being shot on sight. It is now learned that the British aircraft reported lost on Wednesday has been found, with its pilot safe. He was missing after the action in which six British fighters met 18 enemy machines, and shot clown four or possibly five without loss to themselves. One of the biggest aerial battles on Wednesday occurred when 50 German dive-bombers, escorted by a similar number of fighters, attacked a convoy of 20 small merchant ships in the Channel. Scores of bombs were dropped but no ships wore hit, and it is believed that two German aeroplanes were shot down in flames.