ATTACK ON DOVER

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 27, 31 July 1940, Page 7

ATTACK ON DOVER

TWENTY-ONE PLANES LOST

BIG MORAL EFFECT

GERMAN PILOTS "NERVY"

(U.P.A. and Official Wireless.) (Received July 31, noon.) LONDON, July 30. An Air Ministry communique states: "Full reports of yesterday's encounters round our coasts show that a total of 21 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Two of our fighter pilots are missing." Commenting on a German High Command communique statement that only three raiding aeroplanes were brought down in the Dover raid yesterday, while 12 Spitfires and three Hurricanes were shot down, authoritative quarters say that it is becoming increasingly clear that Germany's exaggerated air claims are intended to bolster up not only the civilian morale, but also that of the German pilots. The speedy loss of 17 out of about 80 machines within half an hour must have dealt a serious blow to the nerve of the German pilots engaged in yesterday's raid on Dover, during which only one British machine was lost. This is borne out by a recent revelation by a captured enemy airman that German pilots have demanded the provision of Red Cross planes to pick them up if they are shot down. As announced by the British Government, these Red Cross planes do not confine themselves to the legitimate work of rescue, which, in fact, is unnecessary, because it is already adequately performed by the R.A.F. working in conjunction both with the Navy and any merchant ships in the vicinity. It is officially announced that three | German planes were destroyed in raids on Britain today. The Air Ministry states that during Monday 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 over Wales during the night, but there, too, no casualties resulted. An enemy plane which raided the south-east 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 which crashed in the same area was burnt. It is believed that none of the crew escaped, though several opened parachutes were found in'the vicinity. When the bombs were dropped in this area houses on both sides of a narrow street were demolished—four on one side and three on the other—a number of people being killed. An East Anglian town was bombed early this morning. A proportion" of the casualties proved fatal, and some property was damaged. There is reason to believe that the Admiralty has found counter-measures to German motor torpedo-boats which have been raiding convoys and have earned the title of "night hawks." Results are already disappointing to the Germans, and are likely to be much more disappointing in the near future. The Admiralty announces: "Information has now been received that his Majesty's patrol vessel Guillemot shot down one German dive-bomber during an attack on that ship by a German aircraft yesterday. No damage and no casualties were sustained in the Guillemot."