Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-08
Fierce Air Battle
Fought as Germans
Raid Dover Convoy
Two Axis Supply Ships,
Fired Off Netherlands
Coast, Believed Sunk
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, June british bomb
ers set afire and probably destroyed
two 5,000-ton Axis supply ships off
the Netherlands coast today and a
British convoy escaped unscathed
from an early morning Nazi air
raid supported by big guns on the
French coast, the British announced
tonight
An Admiralty communiQue said
naval vessels escorting the convoy
downed two attacking German
planes with no losses to the Brit
ish.
A fierce duel developed over the
channel when R. A. F. planes chal-
lenged Luftwaffe units bouncing on
the convoy in Dover Strait and the
British craft flew on to the French
shores to blast heavily at the Nazi
gun emplacements.
London experienced its first night
bombing since May IL when Luft-
waite raiders, gliding in with mo-
tors throttled, attacked the capital
last night. Several houses were
damaged and there were few
casualties.
Another night raid was made on
a southeast coast town and II casu-
alttes were reported there.
SO Axis Ships Claimed.
British-made planes of the r. A.
r. bomber command, using special
delayed-action bombs, were credit
ed officially today with destroying
SO Axis ships, severely damaging IS
and causing some damage" to 81
others in a daylight offensive
launched March II.
Air Marshal Sir Richard E. C.
Peirse, chief of the bomber COM
mand, made the figures public in a
''well-done" message to the f1iers.
The marshal said the daylight of
fensive included assaults against
land targets, too, and that severe
damage and casualties have been
inflicted on the enemy both in Ger
many and in occupied territories"
Most British daylight raids were
made from level so low that spe-
Nkhl Julius NCl uSCu, WlllSll CAplOuC
few seconds after impact when
the aircraft get beyond range of the
blast" the Air Ministry news serv-
Ice said in celebrating the account.
Aim to Relieve Railroads.
with spring and coming better
weather, more ships were certain to
begin creeping along the coast, tax
Ing food to Germany from invaded
countries and war supplies from
Germany to bases from which she
attacks Britain" the service said.
by using the sea route, Germany
repeatedly aimed to relieve over
loaded railroads between Germany
and the west.
ION the first day this new Of
fensive of fast bombers set out with
out any escort of fighters to make a
long sweep of the Dutch coast.
These sweeps on the enemy's
- seaboards without cover of cloud or
darkness and without escort fight
ers continued every day weather al
lowed. On March 81 two tankers
Of 5000 tons. well guarded by fax
'dIilI-dA u d1G' SllpS. WClc dIGdChcQ
and set on fire near LIE Havre.
Shipping Search Routine.
@By this time the search for ship
ping became routine. Along more
than 1850 miles of coast line from
Sogne Fjord in Norway to Bor-
deaux. from dawn to dark, the en-
envy never has known where or
when the R. A. F. would strike"
AS a result Of the British at
tacks, the service said. the Ger
mans began employing standing pa
trols of fighter planes to protect
conveys.
German supply ships usually carry
several guns, the service said, par
ticularly light anti-aircraft guns to
guard against loW-level attacks. The
fax ships accompany small con-
voys and destroyers, and fighter
aircraft watch over anything of spe-
cial importance, the service re-
ported.
The German defenses have taken
a toll of British bombers, the serv-
ice revealed, but their number was
not revealed.