GERMANS LOSE HEAVILY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23086, 31 July 1940, Page 9

GERMANS LOSE HEAVILY

Costly Raid On Dover NIGHT ATTACK ON WALES (CNTTED PB.ESS ASSOCIATION—COPTBIGHT.) (Received July 30, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 30. 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 few south-western districts, but there were no casualties and little damage was done. A three-hour raid was carried out on Wales during the night. There were no casualties. This morning a German raider was shot down in the south-east of England. It is now known that 20 German aeroplanes for certain, and possibly three more, 'Were shot down in raids on Britain yesterday, 15 of them in half an hour, during a terrific daylight raid on Dover, says a British Official Wireless message. Attempting a surprise attack on the harbour. 30 Junkers 87 dive-bombers, protected by 50 Messersclvmitts, got the worse of it in half an hour’s battle. Strong forces of Spitfires and Hurricanes swept up to meet the raiders and within a few minutes the air was filled with battling aircraft. So harassed wore the Nazi airmen that thenbombing aim was spoiled and, in'addition, 15 of them were destroyed at the cost of one British fighter missing and several damaged.' The honours went equally to the Spitfires and Hurricanes, Spitfires from one squadron destroying four Messerschmitts and one bomber, while Hurricanes from another squadron accounted for four bombers and one fighter. Two raiders were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire. Another German bomber was destroyed over the Channel, one crashed into the Thames estuary, and another over the south coast. One British fighter pilot taking part in the Dover action hit a Junkers bomber, which blew up in mid-air, and then attacked another, \yhich he 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 was damaged. An eye-witness, describing the air battle over Doveri (paid that each German aeroplane dropped a salvo of one big and four smaller bombs. There were terrific concussions. The bombs shook houses along the seafront and shattered windows. Everywhere waterspouts 100 ft high showered spray over ships that bobbed like corks. The antiaircraft gunfire was so intense that the last wave of bombers were forced to break off their dives and fly back out of range. Another source estimated that 100 aeroplanes, including between 50 and 60 dive-bombers, participated in the attack. In addition to the successes by one squadron of Spitfires and one squadron of Hurricanes, five Royal Air Force pilots reported that German aeroplanes fell in the sea after attacks. Over and around Britain, 323 German aeroplanes have been brought down since the outbreak of war. 239 of them since the first big raid on June 18, This is an average of over six a day, SUPPLY BASES BOMBED RAIDS BY ROYAL AIR FORCE (BRITISH OITICTAI, WIBELESS.) RUGBY, July 29. An Air Ministry communique states: “Bombers last night continued their attacks on military objectives in northern and western Germany. The targets included oil depots, docks, and goods yards. Seventeen aerodromes in Germany, Holland, Belgium, and northern France were also attacked. Three of our aircraft are missing. “Coastal Command aircraft again raided the Cherbourg oil tanks last night and many fires were started. Our aircraft returned safely. “An aircraft of the Bomber Command yesterday made a daylight attack on the Leeuwarden aerodrome in Holland. A number of enemy aircraft on the ground were damaged.' On the return journey this bomber was engaged by four enemy fighters, one of which was driven down. Our aircraft returned safely. „ "There was a yellow glow over, the Cherbourg oil tanks when the pilot of a Coastal Command Blenheim saw them through a haze of smoke early this morning. Others of his squadron had been there before him with heavy and incendiary bombs. He dropped his load,, and there were big explossions on the ground. Blenheims had scored many direct hits on the tanka One pilot bombed the hangars of an aerodrome and saw a great yellow flash. The pilot of another Blenheim was worried by a ring of searchlights. He bombed them and the lights went out. “A German-occupied aerodrome on the Dutch coast was also attacked last night, this time by Hudsons of the Coastal Command. Many fires were started on the airfield," The German newspapers and wireless are still trying to make out that little damage is being done by the British raids. However, some idea of the results of these raids was given by an American wireless commentator, speaking from Germany. He said that people in the area where he was living had not yet been disturbed at night, but businessmen from northern and western Germany were coming to that area to get some sleep. . • Another example of the effectiveness of the Royal Air Force visits was contained in a German newspaper, which published a review of air raid precautions. The article referred at some length to the penetrating power of the bombs used by the British. The same paper, a few days before, said that it was only natural that the stay in air raid shelters was becoming a nightly habit. Malaya's War Effort. —It is officially stated that Malaya, with a population of 5,000,000. has sent £5,000,000 to Britain since the outbreak of the war for war purposes.—London. July 29,