PUNISHING ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1939, Page 8

PUNISHING ATTACKS

MADE BY BRITISH FIGHTING PLANES ON NAZI FLYING-BOATS. . I STORY OF RECENT COMBATS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. December 14. Further details of two recent engagements between coastal command aircraft and two Dorniers over the North Sea show that the second combat was almost an exact repetition of the first. On each occasion British aircraft filed almost Hie same number of rounds of ammunition and did almost the same damage to the enemy. Both combats took place at the same height and in both cases a cloudbank provided the enemy with a ready means of escape. In the first engagement, British aircraft were far out from the base, near Scandinavian waters and flying low on account of heavy cloud at 1200 feet. The enemy’ was a big twin-engined Dornier flying-boat. Royal Air Force aircraft attacked, and for 28 minutes fought the enemy in the narrow space between sea and cloud. The crew of the heavily-armed Dornier blazed away with all guns as the pilot sought to out-manoeuvre the pursuers, but the British pilots were too quick for the enemy gunners. Keeping well out of lhe field of fire, they positioned the aircraft for their own gunners to get to work. Finally, with both rear gunners hit. the Diesel oil tanks punctured, and fuel "literally streaming from nacelles and sponsons," the enemy gave up the fight and struggled into the obscurity of cloud.

The British aircraft then proceeded on patrol. An hour later, over 100 miles away, the same British crews encountered another enemy Dornier, and again attacked. This time the fight lasted only 10 minutes before the enemy aircraft—the rear gunner hit and' black oil smoke-pouring from it—sought refuge in low cloudbanks. Oil and smoke left a trail a full mile long. It would be surprising if either crippled German aircraft wore capable of reaching its base. AMERICAN BOMBERS ORDERS BY-BRITAIN AND FRANCE It is reported from New York, a radio message states, that orders for further supplies of bombers have been placed in the United States by the British and French Governments. The British order is for 200 reconnaissance bombers, with a speed of more than 300 miles an hour, and the French order for 270 machines.