INSTANT SUCCESS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 140, 14 May 1940, Page 7

INSTANT SUCCESS

BRITAIN’S NEW FIGHTER. JUNKERS DEFEATED. (British Official Wireless.) Received Mav 14, 9.35 a.m. RUGBY, May 13. Britain’s latest fighter aircraft, the Boulton Paul Defiant, went into action for tlie first time over tlie Dutch coast early on Sunday as already announced by the Air Ministry. Their first encounter lasted only five minutes from the moment when a German Junkers 83 was sighted out to sea trying to bomb three British ships until it crashed in a field south of The Hague. A squadron of the new Fighter Command Defiants—the first fighters equipped with a powercontrolled gun turret —had been keeping watch round The Hague for some time when the Junkers was sighted. The squadron-leader engaged it together with two other Defiants as it turned towards the coast. Finding himself cut off by tbe three British fighters, the Junkers dived, but the squadron-leader out-manoeuvred him and saw his air gunner score hitsThe Junkers flew low over three fields with smoke pouring from its nort engine and with the Defiant still pursuing. Finally the Junkers crashed in. a field full of grazing cows. A single-seater Spitfire accompanying the two-seater Defiants on tlieir patrol shot down a Heinkel 111 which, like tbe Junkers, was attempting a bombing attack o.ver the sea. The Heinkel also tried to escape, by going into a dive, "but the British flight-lieu-tenant manoeuvred his aircraft into position, gave the coup de grace anil saw the Heinkel make a crash lauding. The Air Ministry announces that Whitley, Wellington and Wellesley aircraft carried out a series of attacks on enemy communications on the frontier between the Rhine and Holland, stated an earlier Press Association message. A force of Blenheim bombers also attacked enemy troops advancing through Belgium. All but one of our aircraft returned safely. ENEMY ’PLANES BOMBED. Among tbe British airmen engaged in Holland and Belgium was a fighter squadron composed of former auxitiary pilots. One day’s bag by this squadron consisted of seven German bombers before breakfast and three fighters after lunch. One young gunner was responsible for shooting down four German ’planes. The ground defences, too, have done tlieir work well. German attacks on Allied aerodromes have caused few casualties and little serious damage, and have proved very expensive to tlie raiders. On tlie other hand, extensive reconnaissance has shown that Allied attacks on German aerodromes in Holland have been highly successful. A Washington message' says that the Dutch Minister (Dr J. Loudon), in a broadcast, said that The Hague had advised him by telephone that the German Air Force so far bad not undertaken systematic bombing of non-mili-tary objectives. Tbe Allies were strongly supporting the Belgian troops, and the news was generally encouraging. It was certain that the Netherlands army were keeping up tlieir morale despite the overwhelming odds against them.