AT CAPUZZO

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 199, 14 August 1940, Page 2

AT CAPUZZO

NEW ZEALAND PILOT TAKES PART IN ATTACK ON FORT

LETTER FROM LIBYA

To the many war exploits in which New Zealand has been rep-» resented the attacks on the Italian fort of Capuzzo can be added. In a. letter to his parents, Pilot Officer L. Buchanan, of Manawatu, gives a vivid account of one of the air raids on that stronghold on the Libyan border, he being a member'- of an RA.F. Squadron operating there. •'I went over last week-end in the leading flight of three aircraft, there being nine aircraft in all in the raid," writes Pilot Officer Buchanan. "We loft at 6.50 o'clock in the morning, flying low along the Mediterranean coast. About 60 miles from the target the flight opened out to 10-mile intervals to make three attacks. At 5.15 a.m. our flight, in close formation, crossed the border through some low clouds and alter a few minutes we saw the huge fort standing c*t,white in the morning sun. We Hfeached from the north, turned sharply, and dived down on our target. "'As. I dived 1 saw some men rush to the machine gun posts so I opened fire with my front machine gun, sending out incendiary and armourpiercing bullets at 1200 a minute. I could see the incendiary bullets spraying the" fort and in a flash we were over it at - about 200 feet, releasing our twelve 2501b bombs. About four seconds later I felt a terrific crunch as I was nearly thrown out of my seat and a spray of metal filings and shrapnel showered around lis, On -looking arouhdL I 7 could see volumes of smoke aadT dust coming from the iort. We had blown up an ammunition dump. "The leader, Squadron-Leader Judge, an Australian, dived right down to g rou lid level, so I followed him closely. On looking around me in the aircraft I found mv observer trying to stop the oil from the hydraulic system from pouring out. but ;t was not much use. We disj covered that the aircraft was covered with jagged holes where shrapnel Jiad ripped through. I had had a narrow escape, as a yiece of metal had torn its .way up through the aircraft six inches-'behind my-head. As the hydraulic system was cut through in two places, this meant that neither the under-carriage. nor the rear machine gun turret would work. ' However, we flew back and I dropped a note stating the condition of thg' aircraft. Headquarters signalled me to land at the repair section aerodrome 30 miles back, f flew back and had to land without Haps or undercarriage down, on the engine nacelle and fuselage. The poor old Blenheim had to scrape over the gravel of the aerodrome on its stomach at 70 miles an hour.After filling the cabin with about 2001b of dust and grit and nearly blinding me,,it came to rest. The landing was quite successful and the two crew men shook my hands in delight at my bringing them down safety." Pilot-Officer Buchanan, who is 21 years of age, joined the Air Force in 1938 and was trainep in England.