AIR RATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1939, Page 7

AIR RATTLE

; FOUGHT OVER HELIGOLAND BIGHT I — 1 THREE BRITISH MACHINES LOST. CLOSE RECONNAISSANCE MADE. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright LONDON. December 14. Il is officially tniuotmimtl Hint British recon n.a issniwe planes shot down four Messcrsch mit 1 s during a fierce bat t le over I leligolaud 1 light. Three R.A.l I ’. machines were lost. The Air Ministry announces: "Throughout the last 24 hours considerable Royal Air Force forces have been operating over the North Sea. These operations included a wide search for enemy surface craft and submarines and a close reconnaissance of estuaries and fortified islands northwest of Germany. "One formation engaged a strong enemy fighter force in Heligoland Bight. In the ensuing encounter intense fighting developed, in the course of which four Messerschmitt fighters and three of our aircraft were sent down. All our other- formations returned without loss." The German wireless has admitted that R.A.F. planes flew over Friesland in north-west Germany. Its account of the fighting in the air is: "A largescale battle between German chasers and 12 of Britain’s most modern longdistance bombers . occurred this afternoon between Wangeroof and Spierkeroof, near Wilhelmshaven. Six British craft were shot down. One German machine came down on the sea."

In a more detailed description of the encounter a Daventry broadcast last night said that there was a slight mist with low clouds when the British planes set off for their objective. Near Heligoland Bight they saw a German battleship, a cruiser, a destroyer and a submarine. The latter opened fire and then dived for safety. Soon afterward the planes engaged Gorman fighters and were also subjected to anti-aircraft fire from the warships. During the first 15 minutes it looked as if the German fighters : would escape, but, then, in successon, four crashed into the sea. During the reconnaissance flights over the fortifications at Heligoland the British aircraft flew within 100 feet of the defences, which were taken by surprise and fired without success. The British aircraft completed their task and. after a flight occupying -five hours, returned to their base. —By radio. EVENTFUL DAY BRITISH PLANES FLY LOW OVER ENEMY DEFENCES. CLOSE AND DEADLY FIGHTING. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Dav, 9.48 a.m.) RUGBY. December 15. Yesterday was a day of almost unceasing activity over the North Sea by the aircraft of the Royal Air Force, when considerable forces made wide searches for enemy surface craft and submarines. Besides these operations, there was close reconnaissance of the estuaries and the fortified islands of North-West Germany. One of the sweeps —as reconnaissance flights over the sea are called — extended over Heligoland Bight and during this operation a formation of aircraft engaged strong enemy fighting forces, at the same time encountering anti-aircraft fire from German warships. This formation left its base for the purpose of carrying out a North Sea reconnaissance. Visibility was poor. For about two and half hours our aircraft flew over the North Sea —then in the distance they saw what appeared to be warships and closer inspection revealed a battleship and a cruiser making towards the south. Some destroyers and submarines were also observed. A submarine opened fire and then dived for' safety. Within a few moments of the warships being sighted, our aircraft were engaged by German fighters and then ensued a desperate fight. The contest was not only with the enemy in the air, for the anti-air craft guns of the ships opened (ire. When the gunfire ceased, another wave of fighters attacked our .aircraft. Six times this happened, with guns from the ships firing during the short intervals between the fighters’ attacks. The fight lasted for nearly half an hour. For the first fifteen minutes, it looked as though the Germans were going to escape any real punishment, but then a twine-engined Messerschmitt German fighter fell in flames into the sea. A few minutes later another German fighter met the same fate and these two were followed by a third and fourth.

In the engagement one of our aircraft was shot down and two others are missing. All our other formations of aircraft returned to their base after dark, barely half an hour overdue. During the close of the reconnaissance of fortified islands on the NorthWest coast of Germany our aircraft, in order to obtain the information required. were at times flying just below the cloud base and at less than 190 feet above the island fortifications. Though the sudden appearance of the low-flying aircraft took the anti-air-craft defence largely by surprise, several batteries opened a belated fire, but without success. An enemy fighter also came up to engage one of our aircraft, but the British pilot took cover in the prevailing low clouds and. having eluded the fighter, emerged to continue his interrupted reconnaissance. After circling the islands our aircraft completed their task and returned safely to their bases after a successful reconnaissance of nearly five hours duration. ONE FOR SIX GERMAN VERSION OF LOSSES. LONDON. December 14. The Berlin wireless announced that a large-scale battle between German chasers and 12 of Britain's most modern long-distance bombers occurred in the afternoon between Wangeroof and Spicrkoroof. near Wilhelmshaven. Six British craft were shot down and one German came down on the sea.