AIR LOSSES

Grey River Argus, 10 September 1940, Page 5

AIR LOSSES

Saturday's Figures LONDON, September 8. The Air Ministry News Service says: The Germans on Saturday night lost nearly one-quarter of their raid 1 ing force against London. Thirty-five planes have probably not reached home, besides those known to have been destroyed. Of 500 bombers estimated to have been sent against London during Saturday night, the Germans lost 84, a measure of the heavy sacrifices promised by Herr Hitler to Germans as the price of large-scale attacks on RUGBY September 8. The Air Ministry ‘ states: To-night, the final reports show that 11 more enemy aircraft were destroyed by. anti-aircraft guns, during Saturday’s engagements, bringing the total shot down by fighters and anti-aircraft guns to 99. Anti-aircraft ' fire accounted for 21 of these in all. One of our fighter pilots, reported missing on Saturday, has returned safely.

1688 ENEMY PLANES LOST SINCE JUNE (Received September 9, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, September 8. An air expert estimates that since the start of intensive air warfare against Britain, Germany has lost in trained personnel more than four thousand airmen. Official statistics show that from June 17 to September 6, 1688 enemy aircraft of all types were destroyed. Of these, up to the end of August, 686 were heavy bombers, and 408 fighter bombers. Thus the German losses are out of all proportion to the British losses. The figures show that during the last week ended on Friday, Germany has been deprived of at least eight hundred trained airmen, against 57 British pilots, for although 143 fighter machines were lost by the British, 86 pilots are announced to be safe. Plane losses since th ( > outbreak of war to September 6 were as follows: German 3842. Italian 128. British 1152. The German air force lost for certain nearly one-quarter of the strength with which it raided London, yesterday, at the opening of the campaign which, according to a German High Command communique Goering is directing personally from northern France. Its loss was probably even higher. BERLIN, September 8. The latest communique stated: The enemy on Saturday lost ninetyfour planes. Twenty-six of ours are missing. The Berlin radio boasting of an air victory, claims that 87 British planes were shot down. LONDON, September 8. The German communique on Saturday’s operations states that the British lost 94 planes and the Germans 26.

BRITISH RESCUE LAUNCHES ARMED. RUGBY September 8. Because of the ’repeated attacks made on them by German aircraft, even when they put to sea to save German airmen from drowning, R.A.F. rescue launches will now carry light armament, for defensive purposes. Recently, an R.A.F. launch, .which was sent during an air battle nine miles off Brighton to pick up survivors Who might have escaped by parachute, was attacked by two Junkers, which dived 1,000 feet and raked it with machine-gun and cannon fire. The crew used rifles and machineguns themselves so effectively that a second attack by the Junkers was thwarted, and the enemy was beaten off.