1940-10-02 — Page 25

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 2, 1940.

THIS WAS THE BIGGEST AIR BATTLE

PEOPLE IN. SCORES OF TOWNS AND VIL- LAGES SAW THE BIGGEST AIR BATTLE THAT. HAS TAKEN PLACE OVER LAND SINCE THE WAR BEGAN.

Bombers estimated at between a hundred and two hundred, escorted by fighters, came over the countryside in perfect formation. Then they were attacked by Hurricanes and Spitfires.

For half an hour a terrific dog fight raged. Towns and villages were bombed and machine- gunned. Raiders, split from

their formation, were forced down to rooftop height, chased by our fighters.

A number of them were brought down and crashed in fields and on houses.

A GUIDE

TO TRUTH

Time after time Berlin announ- ces that a raid has utterly destroy- ed some important objective, while London says the damage svas negligible.

Neutrals ask which they shall believe.

Here is a pointer:

At least eight villages were bombed, two were machine gunned, and in a fight which took place at housetop height over one village a German ma- chine was so low that its bomb rack struck a chimney pot in the middle of a row of cottages. Soon afterwards 1 bomb ex-bour sunk but ploded and wrecked two of the cottages.

A seventy-year-old woman in one of them was taking refuge underneath the sink in the kit chen. She .was drogged out after the raid by A.R.P. workers, and was suffering only from severe shock.

The family next door, includ- ing two evacuee children, were ready to sit down to their midday meal.

"When the crash came the din- ner was blown over the houses," the husband' said. "I shut my eyes and

when I opened them again you could not see for dust."

The Germans came over in waves of fourteen at a time, fly- ing very high. But they could be clearly seen.

The Spitfires and Hurricanes got in among them, and split them up into two sections. More of our fighters plunged into the battle and split them up yet again.

A man who lost a brother in the raids said: "The Jerries did not know what to do. I have never seen anything like it.

R.A.F. Dive In "First of all came the German bombers with their fighters dodg- ing around to protect them, Then our boys got busy. You could see them turning somersaults in the air, flinging their machines everywhere and diving right in among the Jerrics from all angles.

"I saw one. British fighter single out a German bomber. He dived right at him, let fire, with all his guns and cut the German's wing clean away. "You could see the wing come crashing down to earth and the Germans jumped for it and came down in their parachutes. Our

fighter-the one. who had done

the damage-followed the para-

chutes all the way down to the

ground."

Five of the German raiders either divebombed or were forced down during the battle. At any rate they had British fighters following hot on their tail.

The German High Command- announced that not only were most of the ships in Portland har- the naval repair yard was practically destroyed, oil tanks destroyed by fire, and ware- houses left in ruins.

The Admiralty said the raiders scored a few hits but did, no damage of any importance.

The American Columbia Broad- casting. Company's, British repre- sentative made a comprehensive harbour and tour of Portland naval yard after the raid and this is what he said in a broadcast to the United States:

'Admiralty Accurate'

"The Admiralty communique reporting the German raids against Portland was accurate:

"I should say that perhaps four or five small office buildings were destroyed.

eight

six or "One group of bombs had been planted in a line on a practically unused railway yard, too far one way or the other to do any serious damage.

"There was no damage that could be observed to any of the vital elements of the naval estab- lishment of Portland. It is still doing business.

•

Sothern Ann

wears this three-plece outfit consisting of navy blue wool skirt and jac. ket and brilliant print blouse. The blouse is short-sleeved; the skirt has unpressed front pleats for fulness; and the Jaunty hat is navy blue' falt with pink grosgrain ribbon and fishnet veil trim, the pink picking up the predominate shade in the blouse.

WIFE TOO HEAVY FOR HIM TO SAVE

woman

When a fourteen-stone fell into a lake while stepping out of a punt her husband tried to "Probably the most impressive | pull her out, but she was too thing about this aerial warfare is heavy for him,. the speed with which it happens, Accidental death was the verdict and the calmness of the people, on the woman, Mrs. Anne Wat-. If one must be bombed one could son, aged seventy, of Lake Lodge, not ask for better company."

Knebworth Park, Herts.

LEGAL MEN CHECK NAZI LOSSES

OUR FIGURES of Nazi air losses are an under- statement, according to an American journalist who visited a Southern England aerodrome.

"I have always thought that the Air Ministry's "Now figures were an under-estimate," he said. that I have seen the exacting and careful system of checking I have no doubt about it."

Attached to each fighter... aero- drome is a station" intelligence office, where all pilots' reports are checked and counter-checked be- tore being sent on to the Alr Min-

*

stroyed only if it has been seen! to blow up, bohópálessly on fire or to have crashed on land. or ata, "Probables" are:machines which

Said another man "I was watching a squadron of German 'planes when all of a sudden one machine with several others fol- lowing it, British and German, flew over the village at housetop Istry, Each squadron using the have suffered extremely severe height,

aerodrome has its own "intelli- |damage' with pieces breaking "One of the German machines gence, officer.

·

"

hit the chimney, pot of one of a Some of them were barristers row of cottages. Smoke burst in civil life. Many saw service from the cottages that had been in the last war. struck and the bomb exploded

almost at once.

Bricks and pieces of timber

Four Times Daily

were blown into the air and fell Last week some of these pilots all over. the village. The street made three or even four trips was full of smoke and dust."daily into the air.

away, or were seen to be crashing down, but were not observed to imve hit the ground.

Hit Not Enough

The "damaged" are those which have not only been hit but have been seen. to have suffered de- finite damage,

a

The pilots. tell their stories In one village. four people in an One middle-aged Intelligence calmly and impersonally, and they Anderson shelter which had not officer, said that, in some cases he have some amusing as well as been provided with a blast screen had not had time to take details dramatic tales to tell.

from the pilots of one combat be- One of them had to make were killed.

fore they were sent into the air parachute landing. He came down again to counter another German in what seemed to him a "dead wave of bombers and fighters. world." The sirens had gone, but,

That is one reason why during of course, he had not heard them. the days of the hottest engage-As-I. banged on a door," he ments reports were delayed and said, "a deep voice from what full details of German losses were seemed to be the bowels of the The Canadian Broadcasting Cor-not available until the early hours earth said, Who are you?' and poration, at the request of the of the following morning. “ out of an Anderson shelter sleppedį B.B.C., have agreed to second Mr. For the purpose of de Jrmining the occupant of the house:)". Ernest L. Bushnell, its general enemy casualties three categories "He had a hot gun, so I put programmes supervisor, to act as are used - destroyed probable, my hands up it's the safest North American programmes of and damaged.

thẳng to do in such circumstances, ganiser for the B.B.C.

CANADIAN TO AID B.B.C.

A machine is claimed as de-, don't you think?"