ENEMY PLANE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 November 1939, Page 5

ENEMY PLANE

SHOT DOWN OFF BRITISH EAST COAST ENGAGED BY R,A,F, FIGHTERS. PROMPT & SUCCESSFUL ATTACK. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, November 21. It is officially announced that an enemy plane which approached the East Coast was engaged and shot down by R.A.F. fighters. The Air Ministry announces that the enemy aircraft shot down today was a grey-blue Dornier 17, a twin-engined reconnaissance bomber known as the flying pencil, a British Official Wireless message states. It was flying high over the sea off Deal when it was sighted by three patrolling British fighters, who immediately gave battle. As the fighters came up in formation to attack, the Dornier dived to evade its pursuers. The fighters broke formation and each fired bursts. Smoke poured from the German aircraft as it went into a spin and finally plunged into the sea.

During the fight between the Dornier raider and Royal Air Force fighters bursts of machine-gun fire were heard directly above a Kent coastal town. Fragments of shell and bullet cases fell in the roadway and peoplerushed into the streets to see what was happening. An air raid warning was not sounded.

The Government has decided that the sounding of independent local air raid warnings is not safe. Nd public warning will be sounded except under instructions from the Fighter Commander. The public should immediately take shelter on hearing firing or explosions, even if there is no signa], owing to the risk of injury from antiaircraft shells and machine-gun bullets. Watching the combat is mere foolhardiness.