THE WESTERN FRONT

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23001, 22 April 1940, Page 6

THE WESTERN FRONT

German Aircraft Losses *?• HEINKEL CRASHES IN NETHERLANDS ■ CUNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received April 21, 9 p.m.) LONDON, April 20. Royal Air Force Headquarters in . France announced that Hurricane fighters shot down four—possibly five—German aeroplanes in the first large-scale encounter on the Western Front since the invasion, of Denmark and Norway. “One of pur aircraft was forced to land by enemy action,” the announcement stated. “The' pilot escaped unhurt. All the : rest of our aircraft returned safely.” German aeroplanes carrying leaflets flew over north-eastern France last night, and at dawn Allied antiaircraft gunners forced the raiders to retire and shot down one in flames in central France. It is reported from Amsterdam that a Heinkel bomber crashed and was-badly damaged in a hamlet m . Limburg Province. One German was killed and the others were unhurt. Belgian anti-aircraft gunners were responsible for bringing down the German aeroplane which crashed at.. Limburg.' A French aeroplane, pursuing the German, made a forced landing in Belgium, where the crew were interned. * The French official evening communique states: “During the night several enemy raids were repulsed. Artillery fire at the centre of the front from the Moselle trf the Rhine ; was more intense and heavier to- * ' day than Op previous days. r “In the course of many air engagements a German fighter and a reconnaissance aeroplane were brought down on our territory by French fighters. Others were/ brought down by . the British Air Fjrce. One of our fighters was forced to land within our lines.” Yesterday’s French evening com- _ fnunique stated:. “There have been sharp local encounters' between ■ French and German reconnaissance parties east of the Moselle and in* the neighbourhood of the* Blies. - Artillery , actions occurred in the Blies district. . . .'“Our fighters engaged enemy reconnaissance aircraft and brought n one down in our lines and forced iJ. down another out of control behind lines. All our aeroplanes returned to their bases. The Official German News Agency claims that three French aeroplanes , and one British were, shot down over, the Western Front. Only one . German, fighter was lost.