FIERCE CHANNEL COMBATS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21993, 19 June 1941, Page 5

FIERCE CHANNEL COMBATS

Enemy Lose 13 'lanes Ruhr Again Battered By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 18. In a tremendous battle over the English Channel and the French coast last night, the Royal Air Force shot down 13 enemy fighters and lost 16. Many squadrons on each side clashed in fierce combat as the Germans sought to challenge our mastery of the Channel sky. Our fighters were escorting big forces of bombers drawn from the Coastal and Bomber Commands, who renewed their attacks on shipping in the invasion ports. Reports from the south coast state that the raid Was one of the biggest seen from the British side of the Channel and a considerable number of powerful bombs were dropped on buildings. At Kent towns were being rocked by the explosions. For more than an hour the sky above the sea was full of British ’planes. Some of Our fighters were flying so high that they could not be seen, while others flew ceaselessly up and down the Strait at times just skimming the water. Fires over the French coast were visible from the British side as the attack took place. Explosions came from the direction of Boulogne. While the night was peaceful practically throughout Britain, the Royal Air Force again carried on its offensive against the enemy, attacking across the Straits of Dover for many hours and smashing important targets in Western Germany. For the sixth successive night, a raid was made against the industrial areas of the Ruhr and the Rhineland. Cologne and Dusseldorf were heavily attacked. So numerous were the British machines that some of the pilots had to “queue up” to wait their turn to unload their bombs on the targets. It was a clear night, but even before the moon rose some of the bombers had reached their objectives. Hundreds Of flares were dropped by the raiders and these and the searchlights of the enemy often turned the night into day. Several large fires were started after the bombers had dropped incendiary and high explosive bombs. The targets in these areas are concentrated and enormous damage is reported to have been done. As the attack developed the ground defences became more formidable, but the bombers got through to their targets. In the raid on Dusseldorf several machines hung back while others went in to bomb the targets. One pilot said: “When I got there huge fires were already burning up and I started mor®.” The docks at Boulogne and Dunkirk were also heavily attacked by the Royal Air Force last night. There has been little air activity by the enemy over Britain during the past six days, but during that time he has lost 13 bombers, four of which were shot down last night. The Royal Air Force is continuing to seek out enemy shipping along the coast of Holland. In an attack yesterday a 4000-ton supply ship was bombed and probably sunk. Another was attacked and it is thought that she might have been sunk too. Seven British bombers were lost in yesterday’s operations.