London, Nov, 16.
Seventeen German bombers and fighters were destroyed yesterday at the cost of one Spitfire. This ended a period of seven days in which enemy losses in the air increased and British losses were remarkably small, although the Germans and Italians stuck by day to convoy, attacks and high-flying Messerschmitt raids, During these seven days Fighter Command pilots destroyed 67 enemy raiders, Only eight RAF. fighters and three pilots were lost, Today's main attack over Kent, the Thames estuary and the outskirts of London took place between 1.00 p.m. and 2,00 p.m. (B.S.T.). Spitfire pilots patrolling over the Thames saw from twenty to thirty Messerschmitt 109's flying four miles high upriver towards London in pairs. As soon as the Messerschmitt pilots saw the Spitfires they turned down the river again, Before they could escape, however, three of them were shot down.
A low cloud prevented the Spitfire pilots from seeing what had happened but soldiers at a searchlight post saw them crash one after another. At the same time, Hurricane pilots were diving on nine more Nazi fighters. above the Thames estuary, Again three Messerschmitts crashed, With one exception, all enemy raiders destroyed today were. Messerschmitt fighters and fighter bombers. The exception was a Domier bomber which a sergeant pilot in a Hurricane tackled alone over Kent. The bomber was flying 5,000 feet above him and as he climbed to attack it turned away, but the British pilot managed to send it down with five bursts of bullets.—British OMcial Wireless.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.