AERIAL FIGHT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20129, 26 December 1939, Page 7

AERIAL FIGHT

NAZI PLANES CHASED FIRTH OF FORTH AREA ONE RAIDER DAMAGED SPLASH IN SEA SEEN (Elec. Tel. Copyright —United Press Assn.) (Reed. Dec. 23, 1.20 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 22. When German aeroplanes appeared over the Firth of Forth, British fighter planes made contact with one Heinkel machine at considerable height. Aftfer twice being engaged the Heinkel dived ill to the clouds and disappeared. Two others flew along the east coast. One circled over one town and machine-gun fire was heard. The machine then flew out to sea leaving a trail of white smoke. In connection with the official Air Ministry communication this afternoon reporting the air engagement with a Heinkel 111 off the Firth of Forth this morning, it is interesting to note that a large round splash of foam on the surface of the water was seen by a Royal Air Force Fighter Command pilot after the fight with the raider. Hide-and-Seek in Clouds According to this unofficial version of the encounter, when the Heinkels were first sighted flying towards the Scottish coast this morning, they were above two layers of cloud. As soon as they saw the British fighters, they dived. The fighters followed, firing at one of the Heinkels immediately it was free of the cloud.

The fighter pilot’s dive carried him below the Heinkel. He pulled up and went on firing from underneath. His tracer ammunition seemed to go straight into the fuselage of the Heinkel. The German air gunner fired back. One bullet passed near the end of the flight fuselage, but it did no serious damage.

The Heinkel dived down and disappeared below the bottom layer of cloud. Before he went down, the British pilot and the other pilot, who followed, saw a puff of black smoke coming- from the raider. A third fighter pilot returning from the pursuit of a second Heinkel saw a splash of foam below the place of combat.