SUNDAY BATTLES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 218, 13 August 1940, Page 7

SUNDAY BATTLES.

CRUSHING NAZI DEFEAT. SPECTACULAR SCENES. LONDON. Aug. 12. In yesterday’s attacks Germany suffered a crushing air defeat for the second time in four days. The entire stretch of skies a.na waters in Southern and Eastern England was a vast battle-ground throughout the day, and the Air Ministry s communique issued at midnight reporting the destruction of 60 German planes dis-posed of Germany’s exaggerated claims, which progressively increased throughout the night. Another report from Berlin admits the loss of only 17 German machines and claims that a total of 89 British planes and eight barrage balloons were shot down, three convoyed merchantmen and one destroyer sunk, and four merchantmen damaged. Among the German planes shot down was an all-white machine with Red Cross markings operating as a reconnaissance plane. The Germans made desperate attempts to rescue their airmen with motor toi pedo-boats, suggesting that the R.A.F. successes are draining their number of trained personnel. THOUSANDS IN CHURCH. Thousands of people were in churches when the full fury of the German mass attacks broke out along the coast from the South-east to the south-west. It was a gloriously fine day and observers on the British coast were able to see through glasses events on the French coast as British fighters carried the battle back to the German base.

A crescendo of anti-aircraft fire rose along the coast, but the church services proceeded as usual, though punctuated by machine-gun fire as the British planes went into action and the coastal batteries along the entire seafront opened up, turning a peaceful Sunday into a day of war. Spectators during a lull in the raids picked up souvenirs till a sudden reblazing of guns sent the majority of them to cover. The German raids were systematically planned. Reconnaissance planes flew over as dawn was breaking, and the Messerschmitts followed shortly afterward and made a determined attack on the balloon barrages over Dover, Portland and Weymouth to clear the' way for flic squadrons of bombers, which, escorted by fighters, launched four main attacks. The attacks were carried out in conjunction with the attack by 20 bombers against the convoy in which the Germans claim to have sunk an 8000-ton • ship, seriously damaged another and set on fire a 5000-ton ship. The It.A.F. Fighter Command, in co-operation with the other services, was fully prepared to meet the attacks. Our squadrons were well disposed, and when 100 German planes made a surprise attack at a point far from the original targets they found two squadrons of Sp ;+ fires waiting. The Air Ministry says that the casualties in Portland anu Weymouth were civilians.