BOMBERS DOWN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 251, 31 July 1940, Page 5

BOMBERS DOWN

GERMAN RAID ON BRITAIN.

FATALITIES AMONG CIVILIANS.

SOME PROPERTY DAMAGED

(United Press Association. —Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, July 30.

An Air Ministry communique says: “An enemy bomber was shot down off the north-east coast of Scotland shortly after noon to-day by Royal Air Force fighters. A German bomber was shot down off the Scottish coast this afternoon. This was the second German aeroplane shot down during the day. “An enemy ’plane raiding the southeast of England this morning damaged property, wrecking' two motor-buses and damaging several others. There were a number of civilian casualties, several of which were fatal. “An enemy bomber crashed in the same area and was burned. It is believthat none of the crew escaped, though several opened parachutes were found in the vicinity.

“It is unofficially estimated that over 25 enemy ’planes were destroyed in the air battle yesterday. “When bombs were dropped in the south-east of England, houses on two sides of a narrow street were demolished, four on one side and three on the other. A number of people were killed.

“An east Anglian town was bombed early this morning. A proportion of the casualties Avere fatal and some property AA-as damaged.” The Air Ministry states that during the night enemy aircraft bombed a town in the north-east of England, damaging private property. They also bombed a feiv south-western districts, but there Avere no casualties and little damage Avas done. A three-hour raid was carried out on Wales during the night. There Avere no casualties. This morning a German raider Avas shot down in the south-east of England. It is noAV known that 20 German aeroplanes for certain, and possibly three more, Avere shot doAvn in raids on Britain yesterday, 15 of them in half an hour, during a terrific daylight raid on Dover. One British fighter pilot taking part in the Dover action hit a Junkers bomber, which bleiv up in mid-air and then attacked another, which lie damaged. A British squadron leader sent a German fighter down out of control and then attacked a Junkers which hurtled into the sea.

A pilot officer attacked three Junkers in turn; one dived into the sea, the second crashed in flames and the third AA r as damaged.

Over and around Britain '323 German aeroplanes have • been brought down since the outbreak of Avar, 239 of them since the first big raid on June 18. This is an aA’erage of over six a day.,

ANOTHER BOMBER DOWN.

NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND RAIDER,

(Received This Ray, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, July 3i>

The casualties in the south-east town that was raided were several hilled and 12 taken to hospital.

Royal Air Force fighters shot down an enemy bomber off the .north-east coast of Scotland this afternoon.