FAITH IN PLANES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 39, 15 January 1943, Page 3

FAITH IN PLANES

FANATICAL JAPANESE The Japanese fanatical faith in the speed and manoeuvrability of the Zero has been responsible for a considerable number of their recent losses, Australian Hudson bomber pilots have told Mr N. L. Ottaway war correspondent. ''The Zero has joined the Mikado as one of the Japanese deities," an Australian sergeant-pilot said. "We have been able to show them that it can be a much bullet-ridden deity.

One twice circled an area in Milne Bay in the full blaze of the ackack before beginning strafing." Lieut. W. R. Johnson, of Stockton, California, said that. Baron von Richthofen's tactics of, attacking injured planes which straggled from formation was the. most significant method, of attack used by the Zero fighters. They would often fly right through a formation in an attempt to break it up. Once a, Zero pilot flew right over the leader of the bomber formation and under his machine. He cleared both by about two feet. On several occasions Zero pilots, after exhausting their ammunition.

had drawn level, waved to him, and after waggling their wings, depart* ed for home. Other pilots; recalled a more sin-r ister side of the Japanese playfulness. Zero pilots had often tried to machine-gun American airmen who had baled out and had only been prevented by other Zero fighters anxious to secure prisoners. The lifeof Lieut. Don Mitchell had been saved because a Zero pilot had circled round him protectively when he parachuted from his plane. Another Japanese airman vainly attempted to kill him by machine-gun fire as he lay-helpless in the water off the New Guinea coast.