The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-16
Wallace Carroll In
Story Of Air Battles
Continued From Page u

scattered area of hundreds of square
miles along the coast.
Before they could finish tackling
one flight of bombers, another
would come roaring across.
Hard to Tabulate
Reports of the fights and of the
downing of German planes flashed
in so rapidly that it was difficult tc
tabulate them. Minimum estimates
were that at least 20 German craft
had been downed within an hour Of
so after the large-Scale attack be-
gan.
Air raid alarms ranged inland az
far as London, where a fighter
squadron chased away a group Of
German bombers which appeared or
the city's outskirts.
British fighter squadrons were op-
Grating out at sea in order to fall
on the German attackers as they
headed back to their French bases
and attempt to shoot them down al
point where German ammunition
and gasoline would be low.
One group of 80 junkers dive
bomberS was attacked in this man.
ner and it was confirmed that sever
of them were doWned.
In London observers felt certain
that Adolf Hitler was hurting his
famed Luftwaffe German air force)
into the combat with full vigor in
an effort to knock the Raj out OF
the skies.
Confidence in Raj
But confidence was strong here
that the Raj would emerge un-
broken despite losses suffered in the
combat Neutral experts were said
to feel that Germany would be I'M
able to win air superiority over the
British Isles and that this would
mean that the projected German in
vasion attempt would have to be
dropped or at least pontponed.
One terrific attack which lasted
for one hour and As minutes was
made on a south coast region. a
number of German planes were shot
down here including two bombers
brought down in flames by anti-a1r-
craft fire.
These raiders bombed both the
costal area and regions inland
Three civilians we're known to have
been killed and others were wound
ed. Houses were wrecked and some
balloons of the protective barrage
were shot down.
The sky exploded over the south
east coast when the huge German
attack started. British high level
and low level fighter patrols pounc-
ed on the German attackers and
dogfights broke out over an area
of l0O-square miles.
Preceding the mass attack other
British fighter squadrons had chased
German planes which few over the
outskirts of London's metropolitan
area. 1t was the second successive
day that German raiders had APP
peared around London's fringe ane
an air raid alarm was sounded, &C
cording to the London Evening
News.
Unofficial reports indicated be-
! tween 10 and 20 German plane!
were shot down in early phases o.
the combat
A final report by the air ministry
on yesterdays fighting claimed tina
ITO German planes were shot doWr
with the loss of "a British planes
Seventeen pilots of the destroyed
British planes were reported safe.
Thirty German dlve-bomber!
made an attack inland from thu
south coast. 1t was reported sever
of them were shot down.
Two German fighters were shot
down on the southeast coast by
British pursuit craft.
British hurricanes were seen II
rapid flight over the London ares
and were believed to be pursuing
German raiders.
The return of the raiders ended
brief respite since last night wher
the Midlands industrial district was
heavily bombed.
Anti-aircraft guns and fighter
planes drove last nights raider!
but not until they had dropped
several bombs, one of which hit ar
anex to a sanatorium building, dam
aged a nurses home, injured two
nurses and endangered $50 patients
Later in the afternoon German
planes were reported in the vicin'
ity of a number of coastal towns II
southeast Britain.
The air ministry announced thai
a German bomber was shot down BY
British fighters in the Humber rivel
area, where Hull is situated, early
today.
The air and home security min.
istries listed German losses yester'
day as including 1853 planes shot
down by fighters, II by anti-aircraf'
fire, two by infantry and one by
Lewis gunner. How the remaining
two were downed was not disclosed
The ministries said German
bombs damaged a factory, hospitals
a sanatorium and other buildings
causing q number Of fatal casual.
ties, In q midlands town last night
Bombs were also dropped II
southeastern, southwestern ant
northeastern England and In soutt
Wales" the communique said
slight damage was done q factor,
In southwestern England but else
where there was very little damage
and only o few casualties were re-
ported"
Ranged Al Night
But German bombers and fighter
planes ranged over Scotland. Eng.
land and wales during the night
after 10 continuous hours Of day.
light air battling IN which the Bri.
tlsh claimed 10 have shot down
nearly $50 Of 1000 raiders.
The Midlands district was heav.