SPITFIRES AGAIN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 212, 6 August 1940, Page 7

SPITFIRES AGAIN

MESSERSCHMITTS WORSTED

BATTLES OVER CHANNEL

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received August (i, 10 a.m. LONDON, Auo\ 5. * Nine Spitfires this morning shot down two Messerschmitt fighters on the Erench side of the English Channel within range of German anti-aircraft fire. Another Spitfire shot down a third Messerschmitt on the English side of the Channel.

These German losses arc apparently the same as three mentioned in an Air Ministry communique, which states that three enemy fighters were shot down near the South-East Coast- this morning. One of our fighters is missing. A raider on tho South-East Coast dropped bundles of leaflets of Hitler’s speech in a country churchyard, littering gravestones, tree tops, and the church tower. Two high-explosive bombs fell in a field.

The Air Ministry states that enemy ’planes dropped high-explosive and incendiary bombs in isolated districts in the Midlands and East England. One casualty was fatal. A bomb dropped in a north-eastern village blocked a road and uprooted telephone posts. Incendiary bombs damaged crops in the Midlands and South-East England.

GERMAN CLAIMS. Received August 6, 11.50 a.m. BERLIN, Aug. 5. A communique says the air force yesterday reconnoitred over England and Scotland, also the sea along the coasts, and sank a merchantman at the mouth of St. George’s Channel. “Wo bombed shipping at the wharf at Sheerness, oil tanks and anti-aii-craft posts north of Gillingham, and anti-aircraft posts near Thamesliaven. A few British planes bombed Western Germany, but caused only insignificant damage.* A farm was set on fire in tho Borken district and a civilian, was killed.