TERRIFIC AIR BATTLES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 217, 12 August 1940, Page 7

TERRIFIC AIR BATTLES

NAZIS AGAIN LOSE HEAVILY BOMBS CAUSE MINOR DAMAGE (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph —• Copyright.). # ' , Received August 12, 10 a.m. LONDON, Aug. 11. It is officially announced that so far 50 German planes have been shot down to-day in air battles over Portland and Weymouth after an action over the Straits of Dover. Nineteen of our fighters are missing. Two of His Majesty’s ships at Portland suffered minor damage from splinters. Bombs falling on land caused some damage to naval buildings, including a hospital. There were a number of casualties, one being fatal. About thirty Dormers, with an escort of' Messersphmitts, participated in a raid on a‘south-west coastal town this morning. They dropped forty bombs. Six fell at the highest point in the locality and sent up clouds of earth. Sis fell among' ■hipping, but it appears that none scored hits. ESTIMATE PISES TO SIXTY. (Erom Daventry.) The midnight news bulletin of the 8.8. C. announced that it was estimated the Germans had lost 60 machines ing 270 personnel) .as compared with British losses of 24 fighters involving 37 men. This information, of course, precedes the latest cable messages, which require some little time to reach the Dominion.

FIGHTERS IN ACTION

Ail Air Ministry communique 'issued ■t 1-p.m. says: “Enemy aircraft which, approached the South-East Coast this morning and attacked barrage balloons were engaged by' our fighters. Anti-aircraft guns were also in action. “Two enemy fighters were shot down by our fighters. ... “In. a second, engagement over the English Channel three more enemy fighters and one bomber were shot down.”

A communique issued early in. the afternoon announces the shooting down of six German aircraft. In the first actions this morning over south-east coastal towns a fierce “dog fight” resulted in eight German fighters being shot down. Later, diving down, from a great height, German fighters attacked balloon barrages on the South-East Coast. One balloon was set in flames, and, it 6 cable freed from the blazing envelope, came down with ■ lash liko an enormous whip. TERRIFIC FIRE. The ground defences, then putting ■up a terrific wall of fire, prevented a second wave of Messerschmitts from reaching their objectives. This afternoon several squadrons of Messerschmitts raided a south-eastern town for tho third time to-day and attacked barrage balloons on which they swooped at 400 miles an hour. A hail of bullets from the leading plane sent a balloon down in flames. The remainincj raiders abandoned tlio attack. No bombs wore dropped. Many houses were wrecked in a raid on two south-west towns to-day, but the casualties aro believed to be slight. Direct hits destroyed a brewery and damaged another brewery. Many houses over half a square mile in this part of the town have been reduced to ruins. ' A children’s service was in progress ill a chapel when a raid began. The children sheltered under a wall and all escaped. Tho whole of a family was wiped out among a number of fatalities resulting from the German bombing of a Welsh town. Scores of houses and shops were damaged. An earlier communique stated: “Enemy activity over Britain last night was slight and was almost entirely confined to Soutli-West England. Bombs dropped on a town in the Bristol Channel area hit houses and slightly damaged a railway embankment. Reports thus far reveal a number of casualties some of which were fatal. JUNKERS SHOT DOWN. Unconfirmed eye-witness statements concerning to-day’s battles describe the shooting down of two Junkers dive-bombers within three minutes by British fighters when the Germans attacked a convoy oil the South-East Coast this afternoon. The first machine is described as preparing to dive when a Spitfire appeared and an exchange of machine-gun bullets resulted in the German diving straight into the sea from a height ot 2000tt. , , , A minute later another Junkers attacked and, again according to these accounts, was challenged by a Spitfire. After a short fight among the clouds the German pilot was seen to bale out his machine crashing on the rocks ol the foreshore. GIFT FOR SPITFIRE. A private resident in Surrey has sent tho Minister of Aircraft Production (Lord Beaverbrook) a gift of £SUUO for the purchase of a Spitfire. He explained he was near a village where a German raider aimlessly dropped bombs, fortunately without damage. He adds: “Like many others, I do not doubt my reaction was a desire to da something. The only, thing I could think of is to provide funds * or ing another fighter to our uonderful , Air Force.”