AIR BATTLE FOR BRITAIN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 218, 13 August 1940, Page 8

AIR BATTLE FOR BRITAIN

NOW WAGING UNCEASINGLY THOUSANDS OF PLANES INVOLVED (United Press Association—-By Electric Telegraph — Copyright.) Received August 13, 2.20 p.m.

LONDON, Aug. 12.

The air battle for Britain is now being waged ceaselessly day and night with thousands of planes involved. Hundreds are engaged in nightmare “dogfights.” The scope and severity of the German bombings are increasing beyond anything yet known.

The 8.33. C. went off the air to-night. A number of the reports of raid incidents reaching the Associated Press office from a wide area reveal the extent of the operations, but there is not one report of serious damage to shipping or defences. PORTSMOUTH OBJECTIVE. , :

It is revealed that Portsmouth is the south-eastern town that has received the biggest raid so tar. British communiques conservatively estimate the German losses, and even the German News Agency felt obliged to amend from time to time its absurdly fractional estimates of the German losses and eventually admitted that lb German planes bad not returned.

The Daily Mail says experts believe the air war is not a preliminary to an immediate invasion. Germany apparently hopes to attain great propaganda value from the raids.

' The German wireless is broadcasting ceaselesslv graphic fictitious versions of the operations. it is officially stated that five enemy planes brought down by naval ships on Sunday were not included in the official total for the day; therefore, the day’s bag was Go, which is a record.