STERN RESISTANCE.

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

STERN RESISTANCE.

TRIUMPH FOR DEFENCES. 500 MACHINES TACKLED. (British Official Wireless.) Deceived August 13, 1.15 p.m; RUGBY, Aug. 12. The latest information regarding Monday’s raids on British , coasts, shipping and aerodromes is contained in an Air Ministry bulletin and discloses that, of the 39 enemy raiders brought down. 32 were shot down by R.A.F. fighters, and seven by anti-aircraft batteries. This represents the most successful day lor the anti-aircraft defences since the raids on the South Coast began. For the first time Lewis gunners of a searchlight company in Britain saw their bullets hit and bring down a German raider. At one time during the day it is estimated there were some 500 enemy aircr'aft in action over Portsmouth, the Channel, and the Thames Estuary. The British losses, as previously stated, nre nine fighters missing. An R.A.F. fighter pilot, in the course of a broadcast account on Monday evening of the three big air battles which have taken place within the last five days, in all of which he participated, said his squadron had shot down 32 enemy aircraft. In an engagement this (Monday) morning he was shot down himself, but managed to escape uninjured. ENEMY RESCUE DODGE. Describing these engagements, - he said the balloons whicli The convoys carried undoubtedly greatly increased the difficulties of the enemy divebombers. He described the measures which the Germans were now compelled to take to endeavour to save some of their pilots who had been shot down into the sea. After one engagement he dived towards the sea and saw one of the German pilots in the water. “He was easy to see. for all round him was a big patch of green vapour which shows their friends where they are.” he said. “I have come across it before. You can see the green vapour five miles away.”

NAZI ACCOUNTS. All day the German radio has endeavoured to maintain a plane-for-plane description of the air raids, states a Press Association report. It is admitted that heavy anti-aircraft fire from escorting warships greeted the dive-bombing attack on the convoy off Margate. It is claimed that the It.A.F. station at Manston (Dorset) has been reduced to ashes. During a number of attacks on South Coast bases, it is asserted, bombs ploughed up runways and hangars and other buildings collapsed. One squadi ron allegedly shot down 40 British v planes in an air battle over Ports mouth where the naval installation wharf was straddled with bombs. The German News Agency wound up the account of the day’s operations with a declaration that the' German losses were slight because the It.A.F. were avoiding engagements, adding: “This is interpreted as the first sign of broken resistance.” The agency states that 71 British planes were brought down over England to-day and 17 German planes are missing from the battle over the Channel. “German fighters again attacked barrage balloons in the South of England to-day and shot down many balloons.” . All of the 12 Germans who baled out of Junkers 88 dive-bombers over a south-eastern town this afternoon were captured. AIR FORCE AWARD. Amongst the latest list of awards to members of the It.A.F. is that of the D.F.C. given to Flying-Officer J. B. Christie for gallantrv and devotion to duty. Flying-Officer Ooristie was born in Quebec and educated at orgyle ■School, West Mount High School, and Macgill University. See “Extensive Air Warfare” Page 7.