FIERCE BATTLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 50, 27 August 1940, Page 9

FIERCE BATTLE

PLANES OVER PORTLAND

43 RAIDERS SHOT DOWN

SPITFIRES' SUCCESS

(British Official Wireless.) (Received August 27, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, August 26. One pilot who was previously reported missing is now known to be safe. LONDON, August 26. It is ofSeially stated that 55 raiders j were shot down yesterday. Fighters] accounted for 49 and anti-aircraft guns 6. During one of the fiercest air battles of the war, fought near Portland on Sunday evening, 43 enemy raiders were brought down, six of them falling to anti-aircraft gunners, the remaining 12 of the 55 raiders brought down during the day being destroyed in other engagements.

In the Portland air battles twelve Spitfire pilots achieved a remarkable success. They had been on patrol for 40 minutes when they saw an enemy formation comprising large numbers of Dornier 17 bombers and twinengined Messerschmitts crossing the Dorset coast with -a protective screen of Messerschmitt 109's circling round them. The Spitfires dived, each of the twelve choosing its target. Four minutes later ten of the Spitfires were returning to base, having brought down three Dorniers, six Messerschmitt 110's. and three Messerschmitt 109's. Of the two remaining Spitfire pilots, one had jumped to safety by parachute on land, and the other had been picked up by a steamer.

Meanwhile, other fighter pilots were busy with the rest of the raiders. Fifteen Messerschmitt 110's were trying very hard to shake off three Hurricane pilots who kept diving at them, making one attack after another until one of the Messerschmitts went down in a vertical dive. A second broke away from its formation out of control. A third spun down with smoke pouring from it. Crippled by a Messerschmitt cannon shell, one Hurricane fell out of the fight. At once the next pilot in his section sent an attacking Messerschmitt crashing down after him.

When they added up their victories, the Hurricane squadron was able to claim six—four Messerschmitt 110's and two Messerschmitt 109's, though they knew, that their bullets had probably shattered three others.

A second Spitfire squadron also brought down six of the enemy planes and seriously damaged five more during this strenuous hour. Their victims were Messerschmitt and Jaguar fighter bombers. They met waves of them stepped one above another from 18,000 feet, and attacked methodically section by section. Six of the German raiders destroyed by shells from light anti-aircraft guns in the Portland battle fell between 5.30 and 6 p.m.