ENEMY’S DOVER RAID

Grey River Argus, 1 August 1940, Page 8

ENEMY’S DOVER RAID

Six Sinkings Claimed AND 15 PLANES DESTROYED. LONDON, July 30 A German communique asserts that they only lost three planes at Dover in th e raid on Monday. The Germans claim that they shot do\t*n 12 Spitfires and three Hurricanes, and to have sunk four vessels, totalling .32,000 tons. The communique also states that in another engagement, aircraft sank a cruiser and a merchantman, and damaged another merchantman. GERMAN VERSION. DISCREDITED IN BRITAIN. LBritish Official Wireless] RUGBY. July 30. It is unofficially estimated at Dover that 25 enemy planes were destroyed in the air battle on Monday. An Air Ministry communique states: Full reports of Monday’s encounters round our coasts show that a total of 21 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Two of our fighter pilots are missing.

Commenting on the German High Command communique that only three raiding aeroplanes wnv brought down in the Dover raid yesterday, while 12 Spitfires and three Hurricanes were shot down, authoritative quarters say: 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.

Thi a is borne out by the recent revelation by a captured enemy airman. that German pilots have demanded the provision of R.ed Cross planes, to pick them up if they arc shot down. As announced by the British Government, these Reu Cross planes do not ’ confine themselves to the legitimate work of rescue. which, in fact, i s unnecessary, because it is already adequately performed by the R.A.F., working m . conjunction with both the Navy and any merchant ships in the vicinity. Over and around Britain, 323 German aeroplanes have been brought down since the outbreak of war, 23a of them since the first big raid or> June lb. This is an average of over six a day. ENEMY RAIDS. ON ENGLISH TOWNS. RUGBY, July 30. When bombs were dropped in j south-east England, houses'" on the two sides of a narrow street were demolished, four on one side ana three on the other. A number or people were killed. An East Anglian town was bombeu early this morning. A proportion ci the casualties were fatal, and some property wa« damaged. ' LATER. The casualties in the south-east town were several killed and 12 taken to hospital,