ON ENEMY BOMBERS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 256, 26 September 1940, Page 8

ON ENEMY BOMBERS

WAVES OVER ENGLAND

YESTERDAY’S BATTLES.

(United Press Association —Copyright) (British Official Wireless.) (Bee. 12.55 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 25. Details given by the Air Ministry News Service of the air battle taking place mainly over the west ot England show that the proportion of German bombers de r stroyed is as heavy as in the attacks earlier in the month over London.

The News Service states that large German bomber formations were seen over England on Wednesday for the first time since the Luftwaffe’s defeat of September 15. in that battle over London a very high proportion of bombers was destroyed and, as shown by reports up to V. 30 p.m. to-night, at least 15 of the German planes brought down were heavy bombers and three others were fighter-bombers.

'twenty enemy places neie snot down between Bristol and the English Channel by Spitfire and Hurricane pilots, and three were shot down by anti-aircraft guns. Pour of our fighters were lost or are missing, but three of the pilots are safe.' Between 10U and 2UQ enemy bombers and fighters flew north-west in a variety of formations just belore noon. Lighter pilots saw two wedges oi Junkers 88 bombers in tight arrowheads of three each and about 40 in each wedge. Messersehmitt 109’s were higher still? flying-in steps. The heavy Dornier 17’s and Heinkel 111 bombers kept the same close arrowhead formations. Spitfire pilots of one squadron shot down five enemy planes and probably destroyed several more. SPITFIRES’ SUCCESS.

Other Spitfires of the Nizam of Hyderabad squadron, who also destroyed five German raiders, spoke of the defensive circles formed by the Messerechmitt fighters when attacked. The bombers, on the other hand, kept to tight formations, and the Spitfires, diving oil them out of the sun from 2L,OOOtt, had to stand a heavy crossfire from the German air gunners Pilots of a Hurricane squadron flying high above the clouds chased a great formation of Heinkel Ill’s from the mouth of the Severn well out into the Channel. They kept diving in line astern from 22,000 rt. picking off one Heinkel after another until they had destroyed six and seriously damaged others.

PRACTICAL APPRECIATION

People of the Kentish market town near which Pilot-Officer Millington came down showed instant appreciation of his gallantry—they started a lighter fund. They had seen the Hurricane coming dowii with flames darting from it. No sooner had it landed south of the town, states an Air Ministry bulletin, than the petrol tanks exploded and the pilot just scrambled to safety with slight head injuries. The same afternoon another fighter pilot—a squadron-leader, who had destroyed one, probably two Messerschmitt 109’s. landed near the same town by parachute with an injured foot and soaked in petrol. AVhile the wound was being dressed the police put the parachute on show and began collecting for the town’s Spitfire fund. See “Village Saved”—Page 7.