FIERCE BATTLES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 172, 22 July 1940, Page 7

FIERCE BATTLES.

OVER CHANNEL.

Nazis Lose 38 Machines In

Week.

LIFE AND DEATH CHASES

United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 21. A British official wireless message says an Air Ministry communique states that 12 enemy aircraft were shot down on Saturday in attacks on the British coasts. Several others are known to have been severely damaged. Two of our lighters were lost, but the pilot of one of them is safe.

A British pilot who started on Saturday's destruction of enemy raiding aircraft was flying a Blenheim. He caught a Heinkcl 11j seaplane off the east coast in the moonlight. When he first saw the Heinkel it was several thousand feet above him and he climbed and closed in on it.

The German seaplane was taken by surprise and after the first bur«t it turned sharply away and escaped into

the clouds. It was seen again about a mile away burning with bright yellow flames. Finally it crashed, still on fire, into the sea.

The biggest action was fought during the afternoon oIF the south-cast coast. Thirty-five enemy aircraft were engaged —Junkers 87 dive bombers and Mt-sser-schmitt 109 fighters. One patrol of Hurricanes shot down two Messerschmitts and severely damaged several more. They also got in some useful bursts on one Junkers. Another patrol of Hurricanes fhased a dive bomber more than halfway across tile English Channel. It was a straight chase and ended with the bomber in the sea. A fourth enemy aircraft, definitely destroyed off the southeast coast, was a Messersehmitt 109 tighter. It was shot down by Spitfire pilots. As these rights were in progress a formation of Hurricanes, patrolling further clown the south coast, met a number of Messerschmitts, of which at least two were shot down.

In one of the engagements, a Hurricane pilot saw a Messersehmitt 100 far below him. He dived and gave it a single short burst from his machineguns. The Messersehmitt dived almost vertically then flattened out and male a dash for France. Still following, the Hurricane pilot got in another short burst and saw the Messersehmitt go straight into the sea. A fellow-pilot on the same patrol set a Messersehmitt on fire, but did not see it crash. Fierce onslaughts by German raiders have continued throughout the week-end and battles have taken place over the Channel, where shipping has been attacked. Bombs have been dropped on parts of England and Scotland.

Twenty-six enemy machines were shot down, making 38 for the week, and several were severely -damaged. Five British fighters are missing. Since the war began the Germans have lost 212 machines over Britain.

Nearly 100 aeroplanes, 35 of them being enemy craft, engaged in a fierce battle off the south-east coast last eveuing. Junkers dive bombers dropped over 50 bombs among a convoy of ships steaming in the Channel. Shattering fire from warships and shore batteries drove off the raiders. The entire formition was broken up and fled across the Channel.

Eye-witnesses said the German bombers were most reckless. They divei almost to the decks of the ships. However, when the smoke cleared away the ships were seen to he proceeding normally.

Several aeroplanes twice raided a town in the south-west of England this morning. They dropped a dozen bombs, which damaged shops and cottages. The casualties reported so far are one killed and a number injured.