WARM RECEPTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 December 1939, Page 5

WARM RECEPTION

GIVEN TO NAZI RAIDING PLANES FIVE DAMAGED BY BRITISH FIGHTERS. ALL ENEMY MACHINES DRIVEN OFF. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.5 a.m.) RUGBY. December 8. Further details of yesterday’s air engagement over the East Coast of Scotland show that two German Heinkels were first observed flying, almost at sea level, below a British fighter patrol. The fighters dived and gave the enemy several bursts of fire, chasing them eastward. There was no reply to the British fire. Soon afterwards seven Heinkels were seen and attacked as they were flying south down the coast in close formation. A British fighter patrol drove the Heinkels down to sea level and one pilot carried out a running attack fifteen feet above the water. A second pilot hit one of the enemy aircraft and then attacked a second, which returned his fire. This raider also appeared to be hit. A third British pilot tackled two Heikels, registering hits on one of them, as they skimmed to one hundred feet over the sea. A fourth fighter pilot had a narrow escape. He had seen his bullets hit a Heinkel when he himself was hit by-cross-fire from another aircraft. One bullet pierced his earphones and wounded him in the ear. A second hit him in the left thigh and a third pierced the petrol tank of his plane. Although dizzy from loss of blood, he managed to return safely. The Heinkels. speeding south, encountered a patrol of three British fighters five minutes later. Two of the British fighters hit two of the Heinkels. The Heinkels, five holed bybullets. disappeared into the mist on their long and difficult ourney home. The British pilot who was wounded was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and learned his flying in Australia. He led the first attack in an action fought some weeks ago over the North Sea. as a result of which seven out of twelve enemy planes failed to reach home. His section was officially accredited with the first of these to be brought down. OTHER ATTEMPTS ABORTIVE ATTACK ON BRITISH TRAWLERS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) I LONDON. December 8. It is now stated that nine Heinkel planes were engaged in the Scottish engagement: yesterday and five Were seen to be hit. The Air Ministry stated that several Nazi planes were involved overnight in an East Coast raid but British fighters intercepted them. One Nazi approached the Thames Estuary, but was driven oft' by gunfire. German planes attacked two British trawlers, which reached port. Members of the crew said the Nazis dived from a cloudbank and machine-gunned the trawlers, but the bullets failed to hit the ships. _