COMBATS AT NIGHT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 57, 4 September 1943, Page 9

COMBATS AT NIGHT

N.Z. BOMBER SQUADRON

FLAK AND SEARCHLIGHTS

(Special P.A. Correspondent.)

LONDON, Sept. 1. ""Stirjings of the No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron flew for an average of ejght hours in the . 1400-mile round-trip to Berlin and back last night. They had a. number of combats with German night-fighters, one of which was shot down and another probably shot down by the gunners in a Stirling captained by Flying Officer R. Alexander. . . Typical experiences of the crews in the New Zealand Squadron—and also of many New Zealanders in other squadrons-TTTwere those of Stirling? in which Flying Officer N. C. B. Wilson, of Auckland. Pilot Officer T. Dance, of Wellington, Flying Officer O. T. Lodge and Flight Sergeant A. Fa'«cett, of Rotorua. . ' Flying Officer Lodge said: "The most interesting part of the fight was scraps which the boys had with night-fighters. They started from the moment we crossed the Dutch coastline, and conthuted all the way %Q Berljn and back. It was a good night—dark, but there was a bank of clouds below. The German night-fighters endeavoured to get our boys silhouetted against it with belts of searchlights, and we had to wander around them all the way in. Eventually we reached Berlin.. It was beautifully alight. We saw dozens of fires and a high tower of smoke. "There was a good deal of flak, and we got a taste of it just as we took our photo. It burst just under us, and we bounced a bit. We did not stay long after dropping our, bombs, but began to climb. There were bags of searchlights again all the way out, and we could see combats going on with night-fighters all around us. We also saw several, fighters, but, fortunately, they did not see us. There was a bit more flak as we. returned over the coast, but nothing to bother us."