R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 19 June 1941, Page 5

R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

BOMBERS RAID OCCUPIED FRANCE

Fighter Squadrons Provide Escort CLASHES IN CHANNEL SKY (Rec. 10.15 a.m.) Rugby, June 18. Spitfires and Hurricanes of the Fighter Command provided an escort for bombers in a successful raid over occupied France yesterday. They also swept the Channel and enemy occupied territory, shooting down 13 Messerschmitts and damaging several others. A number of fighter squadrons provided the escort and although German fighters tried to attack the bombers every one was fought off by the R.A.F. pilots who guarded the bombers to the target, protected them during the successful bombing and brought them all back without loss.

40 TO 50 MESSERSCHMITTS ATTACK One pilot reports that a Messerschmitt tried to attack the bombers as soon as they crossed the French coast and until they were halfway back across the Channel.

“Forty to fifty Messerschmitts attacked us for thirty minutes” said one of the pilot’s reports.

A Polish squadron which formed part of the escort was constantly attacked while over France but prevented enemy planes from getting near the bombers.

During this operation Spitfires and Hurricanes of other squadrons swept the channel and northern France. The total figure of enemy casualties includes only those aircraft seen to crash and takes no account for those probably destroyed but which did not crash within sight of British aircraft. —8.0. W.