The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-12

plaCeQ GeTUlan pld1le lOSSeS at UC" tween 14 and 16 craft up to 3 p. m. This lifted total German plane losses since June 18 to more than 400, according to British count, but the combats still were going on.
 The London Evening News on its front page declared that lone of the biggest air battles ever fought is taking place this afternoon of the southeast and south coasts"
 No Let Up In Fights
 The battles appeared to be 8 fol- low-up to the terrific raids carried out by the Germans against Britain yesterday and Thursday. Wave af- ter wave of bombers were coming over. They were protected by fighter and destroyer planes.
 British fighter craft were engaged almost continuously against the raiders. British anti-aircraft fire was reported to have been particu- larly severe.
 The large scale assaults followed night in which German planes ranged over Britain and appeared for the first time over northern Ire- land and the North Ireland coast in the regoin of Britain's 'backdoor" for supplies, the important west coast ports. By p. m. British time, there were no official reports that the RAF was making any re- taliatory raids into Germany. 25O Mile Front
 The main battles today were on g 250-mile front beginning at the es- tuary of the Thames and running the length Of the English Channel and south coast.
 One of the chief German objec. tives today appeared to be the great barrage of balloonS-the wall" o1 gas bags to which steel cables are are attached-which is designed te protect important south and south east coast objectives from attack.
 In one severe raid on 8 south. east point between five and sever German planes were said to have been downed. Five were shot dowr at another spot and two at thirc point. Another bomber was baggec on the northeast coast.
 Two waves of Heinkel bomber. carried out dive bombing assault on a south coast town. It was re. ported that three of the attacking planes were shot down by anti. aircraft fire.
 Despite the intensity of the Ger. man air attacks, British expert. doubted that the raids marked the opening of a real blitzkrieg against Britain.
 They said that the raids ap. peared to be testing the strength of Royal Air Force defensive squad. rons in preparation for the launch. ing of still heavier aerial attacks which would seek to break British morale. A second obpective was helt to be the damaging of British port! and shipping as an aid to the long. range German blockade attempt. Terrific Barrage
 At one south coast town the Ger. man raiders ran into a terrific bar. rage of anti-aircraft artillery. Int blast from the Britisi: guns brought down two German planes in flames and some crew members were seer taking to their parachutes.
 At a southeast town 12 German flyers bailed out by parachute from five planes which were shot down They were quickly rounded up. ons landed in c street.
 At another southeast town ons bomber dropped four bombs in tho residential district and destroyed ths home of a woman who had just eel. ebrated her tooth birthday. Severa persons were injured. One of ths first battles Of the day was fought ct e height Of i2.000 to ib,000 feel over the southeast coast. Tn thi; dog fight British Hurricanes ant | spitfires attacked . large formation of German bonibers and fighters which were gunning for tho balloon harragc. Preceding the appearancl | Of tho German squadron other Ger.