NINE DOWNED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 249, 29 July 1940, Page 5

NINE DOWNED

TOLL ON GERMAN AIR RAIDERS.

THE FIGHTING YESTERDAY.

TWO BRITISH CRAFT LOST

(United Press Association —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 1 p.m.) LONDON, July 28.

It is officially stated: “Nine enemy ’planes were destroyed to-day.. Two of our fighters were lost, but one pilot is safe although! wounded. Five German fighters' were shot down in the afternoon. Our fighters later shot down two more ’planes over the Channel.” OVER SOUTH-EAST BRITAIN. MILES OF SKY COVERED. RAIDER CRASHES IN FLAMES. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) LONDON, July 28. There was a series of air battles over south-east England this afternoon after raiders had crossed the coast at a high altitude. Observers heard ma-chine-gun fire and cannon fire above the clouds, and also saw planes diving at tremendous speed. Royal Air Force fighters at 10,000 to 20,000 feet hunted the raiders, who hid in the clouds. 1 The battle covered miles of sky over the countryside. It is estimated that 70 planes took part. A German raider who emerged from the cover of a cloud found a British fighter sitting on his tail. After a shortchase out to sea the fighter got in a sharp burst, and the enemy crashed in flames in mid-Channel. Two membeiS of the crew escaped by parachute. British torpedo-boats dashed out and picked them up. Two German ’planes were brought down several miles inland. No bombs were dropped in this series of battles. Ten bombs were dropped in Wales, mostly in the fields, and there were no casualties.

FEW BOMBS DROPPED.

TWO BOMBERS BROUGHT DOWN. ONLY SLIGHT DAMAGE CAUSED. .. . -.v .. LONDON, ..July 28. • Enemy air operations last. , 'night against Britain were-on , a small scale. A few bombs, were dropped in Wales and south-west England.. The damage was slight and there were no casualties. . , .

Rbyal Air Force fighters early this morning shot down a bomber off • the south-west, coast.

A second bomber was brought down in the south-east of England.

SEVERAL RAIDS AT NIGHT.

ENEMY CRAFT SHOT DOWNt GERMANS REPORT DAMAGE. LONDON, July 27. Night raiders bombed several places in the south-east and north-east of England, wrecking one house and damaging others. The casualties wore few. There was one death. Bombs fell at isolated points of south-west England, AA r ales, and the north-east of Scotland, causing minor damage., One German bomber .was brought down during tho night. . Two enemy aeroplanes were shot down over the Channel this morning. Ag Air Ministry communique states : “Two enemy aircraft were‘shot down by Royal Air Force fighters this morning. It is authoritatively stated in London that there is no truth whatever in the report of- an enemy air attack on a convoy off the coast, of northern Ireland yesterday.” The Ministry of Information repeated its warning to the public to carry gasmasks. It says: “One cannot assume that the Germans will not use gas because they have so far refrained from doing so.” A communique issued in Berlin states that the German air force yesterday attacked British shipping in the Channel and sank a 26,383-ton merchantman and damaged a destroyer. “The steamer Sambre was sunk in a strongly-guarded convoy,” the German communique states. “Motor torpedoboats, as already reported ,sank four British merchantment totalling 22,000 tons and set fife to a merchantman of 2000 tons. The air force made a reconnaissance of the Shetlands and the whole of the English east coast , in spite of bad weather. Several fires were caused during attacks on harbour works at Hastings and elsewhere. Fresh attacks were directed against the railway junction at Tunbridge Wells and a large oil store on the Thames Estuary. British aeroplanes penetrated western and south-western Germany and dropped a few bombs, without causing damage. Two were shot down. One of our ’planes was lost during an air battle over the Channel.” The German radio announced: “Germany controls the English Channel. Nothing Britain can do will alter this.”