CHANNEL BATTLES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 215, 9 August 1940, Page 8

CHANNEL BATTLES

BRILLIANCE OF R.A.F. GERMANS’ GREAT LOSS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph. —Copyright.) (Britisu vJificiai t»n..tesj.) •• Received August 0, 1.60 p.m. RUGBY, Aug. 8. The German Air 1 oice sutiered the most severe losses to-day since . tlie war round the coast began. Nineteen Junkers 87 divebombers and 34 Messerschmitt lighters—63 in all—were destroyed by Hurricanes and Spitfires over the English Channel.

They were shot down during a series of attacks on convoys, which lasted from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. A Hurricane squadron in three fights •ent 21 enemy aircraft crashing into the sea. One was shot down by a Polisn pilot in action with tile Tighter Command for the first time. The day’s main air battle was fought in three parts: The first German attack on a convoy was between 9 a.nw and 9.30 a.m.. when six Junkers 8" dive-bombers and three Alessersohmifcts were destroyed by the Hurricane squadron, which was the most successful in the day’s engagements. The second attack on the same convoy was by a still larger formation of dive-bombers and escorting fighters, and it developed between 11.30 a.m. and 1 p-m.

Finally, throwing nearly 160 dive-bombers and fighters into the battle, the Germans made a_ third attack between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The Hurricane squadron destroyed 21 German raiders, being in all three actions. Tn a few hours they became the squadron with- the biggest bag ot enemy aircraft in home defence operations.

BLACK WITH PLANES. The Hurricanes’ squadron-leader, describing one of the fights, said the sky over the convoy was literally black with German bombers and fighters.

After the first morning battle, a Polish flying-officer told, with the help of his fellow pilots, how he saw Jus first large formation of Junkers 8/ s, supported by new Heinkol 113 fighters. “I was attacked,” lie said, “by throe lleinkel 113’s who seemed to be working to a plan—one flying alone and the other two as a pair. If you attack the pair, the single one tries to get on your tail.” . , TI . . , hie tackled the single Heinkel 113 and watched it go down smoking, though lie was, not able to see a final crash. • It was during the _ last battle or the afternoon that this pilot got his Messerschmitt 109. Describing his part in the battle tile Hurricane squadron-leader said : '\ c climbed to 16,000 ft, and, looking down, saw a large formation of Junkers 87 s approaching from the sun, with >le> scrsclimitt 109’s stepped up to 20,000 it. We approached unobserved out ol the sun and went into attack the rear Junkers 87’s. THRILLING ENCOUNTER. “Before enemy fighters could interfere 1 gave a five seconds’ burst to one bomber and broke off to engage two Messerschmitt "109’s. There was a ‘dog-fight.’ “Enemy fighters were rolling, diving, and zooming in climbing turns. .! fired a second burst at one, and saw it dive into the sea. I followed up another in a zoom, and caught him as he stalled.” A flighHieutenant in the same squadron managed to bring down two Junkers 87’s though his engine had stopped. “I was forced to retire owing to engine failure, but dived down on a Junkers 87,” he said. “After three or four seconds, it went into an inverted dive and crashed into the sea. Mv engine started again, and I went after another Junkers 87, and attacked him before he was able to make another dive-bombing attack on the convoy. He dived into the sea at high-speed.

“After this second attack, my engine stopped for good, and I only just got back to England.” This pilot managed to land on a nearby aerodrome. DECAY FOILED.

In the second battle of the day three Hurricanes of this squadron met ten Messerschmitt 110’s and shot three of them and a Messerschmitt 109 into the sea. The last-named was used as a decoy. While the Hurricanes were attacking him, the 110’s were supposed to take them by surprise, but, as one Hurricane pi lot said, “the Messerschmitt 109 overacted his part.” RAIDS BY R.A.F. The Air Ministry states that some R.A.F. raiders last night became so heavily ice-laden that they were unable to climb. Sea mist and thick iclouds obscured Kiel, but the raiders recognised and bombed dockyards. Bombers also dropped salvoes on the aerodromes at Holtenau and Husum, despite violent firing from the ground.

NAZIS’ WORST DAY