AIR FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 November 1939, Page 5

AIR FIGHTING

GERMAN SCOUTING PLANES ON WEST FRONT ACHIEVEMENTS OF YOUNG BRITISH PILOTS. DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY MACHINES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON. November 5. A dozen German scouting planes today deeply penetrated French territory on the West Front. They met heavy French anti-aircraft fire. The "Daily Telegraph" says the three Royal Air Force pilots responsible for bringing down the two German planes over the British lines on Thursday were aged only 22. 23, and 26 respectively. The two Heinkel bombers were sighted at 20,000 feet and six British fighters went up. One overtook a bomber after 40 minutes’ flying at full speed, coolly held his fire till the range was perfect, and then loosed the full burst from the synchronised guns. The pilot saw the bullets patter on the enemy's fuselage, from which smoke emerged. One propeller cut out, the landing wheels dropped and the plane started to spiral to earth, where it crashed into a hedge. The 19-year-old German pilot survived.' Two members of his crew were seriously injured. Two other British pilots overtook the second bomber after a 100-mile chase. There was a brief exchange of fire, and then the German plane nose-dived amid a plume of smoke and crashed in Belgian territory.