Arabs Lose Two Planes in Tel Aviv Raid, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, June 4, 1948.

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As the land fighting for Tel Aviv approaches grew hotter Thursday, the Jewish capital was bombed several times during the day. The Arabs lost two two-engined bombers during the raids.

As the Egyptian planes pressed their bombing attack on the Jewish military and administrative head quarters city, Israeli planes rose and began an aerial duel.

Thousands of Tel Aviv residents left air raid shelters as the combat began. They saw one of the enemy bombers, riddled by gunfire, explodes in the air. It fell in fragments over Jaffa, the neighboring Arab city no win Jewish hands.

The second plane was brought down near Rehovot as it tried to reach its base in Gaza, the communique said.

An Egyptian communique said only one plane was lost. It said the raiding planes scored direct hits on Tel Aviv’s airport and principal electric power station.

NIGHT RAID

The Aviv had its first night raid in nearly three weeks Thursday night. The Israels said they believed the Egyptians dropped 250 pound bombs today, the heavies yet used. The bombings caused a large number of casualties, most of them in a direct hit on a bus station in suburban Richon La Zion.

Today’s communique was the second report of Arab-Jewish aerial combat since the Palestine war beban May 15. Israel reported Monday that its fighters shot down an Arab Spitfire Sunday over Tulkarm.

It was disclosed later that it was a Messerschmitt, famous German World War II type fighter, that brought the Spitfire down. The government has maintained secrecy concerning the makes of planes it uses.

Jerusalem had its quietest day since Trans-Jordan’s Arab Legion smashed its way into the old sector May 18. Only an occasional mortar shell explosion or sound of machinegun fire indicated a war still was on.

An Arab Legion commander in the old city indicated the Legion may use a food and water blockade to subdue the Jews in modern Jerusalem.

HOLD-FIRE ORDER

The officer, leader of Arab forces now in absolute control of the old city, disclosed he issued a 24-hour “hold fire” order to his troops at 7 p.m. (Wednesday). He added that “neither side wants to attack now.” The Jerusalem truce may be extended another 24 hours, he said.

The Arabs now hold all roads leading into Jerusalem and the Jews in the new city are known to be short of food and water.

Arab women turned over to the Red Cross today by the Jews said the Jews were “short of food and desperately short of water.”

A Christian Arab girl, held in a Jewish war prison camp in New Jerusalem for 11 days, said there was no water in the taps except for five minutes of one day that she was there. Prison food consisted of tea, three pieces of bread and some canned fish daily, she said.

Haganah sources said the French and Greek Consulates and the Greek Orthodox monastery on the Mount of Olives were hit in shelling Wednesday. The U. S. Embassy had three near misses.

Sweden Willing to Send Some Officers

STOCKHOLM, June 3 (AP)-The Swedish government is willing to send officers to Palestine as Armistice controllers, the Foreign Office said tonight.

An official announcement said Sweden had been asked whether she would do so and the government agreed “in principle to send a limited number.”