ENEMY PLANE CRASHES

Evening Star, Issue 23908, 11 June 1941, Page 8

ENEMY PLANE CRASHES

(British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 1.20 p.m.) RUGBY, Jane 10. An Admiralty communique states: “On Monday afternoon a Messerschmitt 109 was engaged by H.M.S. Blencathra. The German plane was seen to be severely damaged, and it is now known that it crashed four miles inland. The Blencathra suffered neither damage nor casualties.” A communique regarding to-day’s daylight air activity on Britain says: “ A single enemy aircraft this afternoon dropped bombs at one point in the north-east. Little damage and no casualties were caused. “ Apart from this incident, enemy activity during daylight to-day has been very, slight.’!-

WAR IN THE AIR FOUR MONTHS' BALANCE SHEET (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 1.20 p.m.) RUGBY, June 10. Sir Archibald Sinclair, in the House of Commons, said, as far as at present was known, about 240 enemy aircraft wore destroyed in operations in the Mediterranean and the Middle East theatre of war in May. The information, however, was incomplete. The number of hostile aircraft destroyed over and around the coast of Britain during May was 63 by day and 144 by night. Analysis of British communiques showed that the total number of British and enemy aircraft lost or destroyed in the air on all fronts in the first four months of 1941 had been:— January : Thirty-nine British ; 69 German ; 152 Italian. February: Eighty-four British; 67 German ; 284 Italian. March; Seventy British; 121 German; 113 Italian. April: One hundred and seven British ; 237 German; 88 Italian. AMERICAN SHIPS COMPANY'S FLEET TAKEN OVER (Rec. noon.) WASHINGTON, June 10. The Maritime Commission has directed Southern Pacific Company to deliver its entire fleet of 10 cargo vessels for national defence purposes.