New German Twin-tailed Plane

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 64, 18 March 1944, Page 5

New German Twin-tailed Plane

Received Friday, 7.30 p.m. LONDON, March 16. The American day raiders encountered a new German plane over Southern Germany to-day. It was twin-tailed and four-engined and was unidentified as any known type by the airmen who saw it. The Germans also put up between 75 and 150 twin-engined Me-ll O’s, all firing rockets and coming in with cannon blazing. Some of the German twin-engined fighters were painted black, indicating that they were night fighters tossed into the battle. The Germans also sent up Ju-88’s against the bombers. Singleengined bombers which may have been ordered from other areas only showed up as the American bombers were en route from the target. The German fighters were apparently dispersed over a wide area to keep the escorting Allied fighters tied up while all the twin-engined German fighters available were concentrated in one massed attack against the bombers. Some of the Fortresses which were hit by rockets blew up in the middle oi the formation and others which were only damaged were “murdered” when they dropped from under the protecting guns of the rest of the formation. One pilot said that as he was leaving he saw lots of enemy planes about to take off from an airfield. Thunderbolts swept, down and the pilot thought that not a single enemy plane got off the grourd. The air offensive was continued in the afternoon when R.A.F. Typhoons shot down four enemy planes over Northern France. Four of our fighters were missing to-day from this and other operations. United States Marauders were also over Northern France in the afternoon. Aircraft of Coastal Command patrolling between Land’s End and Ushant last night sighted and attacked a strong force of E-boats attempting to approach the English coast. An aircraft report ed the enemy’s position and light forces proceeded to intercept. In the early hours of Thursday they made contact with tho E-boats about 25 miles southwest of Land’s End. A short sharp

action followed in the course of which British ships scored direct hits with gunfire on the enemy vessels. One was believed to have been sunk and others damaged, two severely, before the enemy succeeded in escaping. All the British ships returned safely, having suffered neither casualties nor damage. None of our aircraft is missing.