BOMBERS DOWNED

Opotiki News, Volume III, Issue 316, 27 September 1940, Page 3

BOMBERS DOWNED

~ BIG PROPORTION NAZI AIR LOSSES BRITISH DEFENCE TOLL STING OF SPITFIRES HURRICANES’ ATTACKS (News by Cable.) RUGBY,- Sept. 25. Details given by the Air Ministry news service of the air battle taking place mainly over the west of England show that the proportion of German bombers destroyed is as heavy as in the attacks earlier in the month over London. ■ The news service states that large German bomber formations were seen over England to-day for the first time since the Luftwaffe’s defeat on September .15.-- In that battle over London a very high proportion of bombers were destroyed and as shown by reports up to 7.30 p.m. to-night at least 15 of the 23 German planes known to have been brought down were heavy bembers and three others were fighter-bomb-ers.

Twenty enemy planes were shot down between Bristol and the English Channel by Spitfire and Hurricane p lots. Three were shot down by anti-aircraft guns. Four British fighters were lost or missing, but three of the pilots are, safe. Arrow-Head Formation .Between 100 and 200 enemy bombers and fighters flew north-west in a variety of formations just before noon. The fighter pilots saw two wedges of Junkers 88 bombers in tight arrow-heads of three and about 40 in each wedge. Messerschmitt 109’s were higher still. Flying in steps heavy Dornier 17 and Heinkel 111 bombers kept the same close arrowhead formations. Spitfire pilots of one squadron shot down five enemy planes and probably destroyed several more. Other Spitfires of the Nizam of Hyderabad’s squadron, which also destroyed -five German raiders, spoke of the defensive circles formed by the Messerschmitt fighters when attacked. The bombers, on the other hand, kept to tight formations and the Spitfires, diving on them out of the sun from 21,000 ft-.. had to stand a heavy cross-fire from the German-air gunners. Pilots of the Hurricane squadron, .flying high above the clouds, chased a great formation of Henkel Ill’s from the mouth of the Severn well out into the Channel. They kept diving in line astern from 22,000ft., picking off one Heinkel after another until they had destroyed six and seriously damaged others.