AERIAL BATTLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23047, 26 May 1938, Page 13

AERIAL BATTLE

SPANISH CONFLICT REVERSE FOR ITALIANS 17 MACHINES SHOT DOWN LOYALISTS* OFFENSIVE By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright LONDON. May 24 The Spanish loyalists claim that the Italians met their aerial masters over Guadalajara, when 17 of their Fiat machines were shot down over the loyalists' lines and a Savoia bomber crashed in no-man's-land, says a message from Barcelona. Nearly 200 fighters participated in the battle, which lasted an hour and was the greatest of the campaign. The loyalists lost three machines. The insurgents, according to a message from Salamanca, claim to hold all their positions in spite of three days of a tremendous offensive by the loyalists east of Balaguer, with 40,000 troops, supported by 40 tanks, 80 aeroplanes, 15 artillery batteries and several squadrons of cavalry. The offensive was secretly prepared by the loyalists, who relied on surprise, but their plans leaked out. The rebels held their posts under a rain of explosives, moving only to throw bottles of petrol and hand-grenades against the on-coming tanks, which were held up by gunfire. The advancing loyalists met a withering machine-gun fire and those who reached the trenches were attacked with knives.

CAPTAIN DETAINED BRITISH STEAMER STOPPED ON SPANISH COAST SEQUEL TO INVESTIGATION (Received May 25, 11 -4."S p.m.) GIBRALTAR. May Q5 Captain Scott, master of the British steamer Stancroft, owned by the Stanhope Steamship Company, London, has been detained on a charge of carrying a prohibited article to Spain. As the result of information from the Non-intervention Board, the British destroyer Hyperion stopped the Stancrol't on the high seas between Barcelona and Valencia on May 13 and escorted her to Gibraltar. A cablegram on May 23 stated that an official examination of the cargo of the Stancroft revealed that there were no munitions on board The cargo was being reloaded.