The Air Ministry said last night that in some cases entire' German squadrons had been shot down by the reinforced R.A.F. fighter units. Many German planes which failed to fall in England were so badly damaged that they could not reach their bases, the announcement added.
Italian planes with green, red and white stripes on their wings, were reported to have joined the Germans in yesterday's attacks on England, but British officials reserved comment on these reports last night.
Eye-witnesses insisted that they identified Italian planes in the air and last Saturday's newspapers told of Fascist raiders over England who were alleged to have dropped me-gaWon rings bearing Premier Musso-huis head and the inscription "We Strike Hard."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.