ONE SHOT DOWN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 22 November 1939, Page 5

ONE SHOT DOWN

NAZI SCOUTING CRAFT GREAT HEIGHT KEPT ELUDING GUNFIRE BRITISH AIR FIGHTERS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Nov. 22, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 21. It is officially announced ( that an enemy plane approached the east coast and was engaged and shot down by Royal Air Force fighters. The Air Ministry announces that the enemy aircraft shot down today was a grey-blue Dornier 17, a twin-engined reconnaissance bomber known as the “Flying Pencil.” It was flying high over the sea off Deal when it was sighted by three patrolling British fighters, who immediately gave battle. As the fighters came up in formation to the attack, the Dornier dived to evade the pursuers. The fighters broke formation and each fired. Bursts of smoke poured from the German aircraft as it went into a spin and finally plunged into the sea. No Bombs Dropped A communique issued by the Air Ministry in regard to the morning raid by planes yesterday, stated that unidentified aircraft visited various points on the Kentish coast, after which hostile aircraft crossed the Sussex Coast at a great height. They turned eastward near London and were chased to sea by fighters. No bombs were dropped. A Berlin message quotes the German official news agency which says that despite the most unfavourable weather, the German Air Force continued reconnaissance flights over England and France, the aircraft being absent up to eight hours in (lights over Scapa Flow, Scotland, the south of England, the channel coast and the North of France and returning with valuable material. “Raid alarms were sounded in the north and south of England,” states the German news agency. “Fighters and anti-aircraft guns attacked our scouiers without success because the enemy defence was unable to reach the great heights of the German machines. The planes engaged in reconnaissance over France encountered no resistance.”