London, Jan. 3.
GERMAN aeroplane which reached the Shetland Islands yesterday made off when British fighters took to the air. vi bility was poor at the time and the German plane did not drop any bombs, No it raid warning was sounded.
A fierce encounter between three R.A.F. bombers and twelve Nazi fight planes near the German coast yesterday is described in an Air Min try bulletin issued last night.
"There has been extensive air activity over North Sea today in th of the German coust," says the communique, "During the afternoon a formation of three R.A, bombers encounter squadron of twelve Messerschmidt long range fighters, well out at sea.
The formation, although heavily outnumbered, gave battle to the enemy.
One Messérschmidt was shot down flames and two others were driven down and are likely to have been Tost, One of the three bombers returned safely, a second was shot down during the encounter and the third is missing," the communique Eight R.A.P. Members third machine sate: We were going south when, suddenly, the look-out man shouted "fighters" Almost before he had given the warning, T saw streams of white tracer Villiels Mashing past on the port side. 1 then realized this was a serious battle, We hed not seen the enemy Decatise they came straight out of the stu. The frst burst of enemy. five penetrated our fuselage but with no material damage. We found ourselves fiyhtine twelve enemy" planes. Here bullets entere?t our lreratt and some missed us only by a few Messevschmidts, it is learned, massed for three dual attacks upon the bomber which escaped after bringing down two of ils attnekers—Reuter, Marshal Goering's "Revolt"
An important German industrialist who has just. returned from Berlin slates that Hitler has ordered Pield-'Marshal Hermann Goering, the Reich Air Minister, to make a tremendous mags air attack on England, reports, the Budapest. correspondent of the Gooring's closest friends say he has replied that he will do so only upon written order. Upon he will command the Jeading squadron himself, but he refuses, to. take responsibility for ordering what Is considered to be 9 terrible catastrophe for Germany, 'This, saya the correspondent, Is apparently the cause of Field-Narshal Goering' retirement to his own estate andthe break between him and other Nazi leaders, reported by many neutral observers from Berlin Reuter, German Tribute to RAR.
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