AIR COMBATS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 January 1940, Page 6

AIR COMBATS

GERMAN PLANES ROUGHLY HANDLED ATTACKS BY BRITISH FIGHTERS. I BIG STREAMLINED MACHINE PUT TO FLIGHT. (British Official Wireless.) i Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) RUGBY, January 11. While on North >Sea patrol on Wednesday a single aircraft of the Royal. Air Force Coastal Command, sighted a big twin-engined and finely streamlined German monoplane, which lho British aircraft immediately pursued and overhauled and when close enough opened fire with the front gun. The German manoeuvred as if trying to escape, but received more punishment as the British pilot pressed home the attack from below. During a second encounter, the German bomber’s rear gun was silenced and her retractable undercarriage. which was drawn up in the flying position, was seen to be dropping down. The impact of bullets apparently had smashed the release mechanism.

While the front gunner of the British aircraft was reloading, the German dived almost to the surface of the sea and the British pilot dropped two heavy bombs, which exploded behind the enemy's tail. The German climbed sharply to four hundred feet as if to evade a repetition of this kind of attack. As it passed the British aircraft. its side guns fired continuously. It appeared that one of the enemy's guns jammed and the hydraulic Mechanism of the turrent was so deranged by accurate fire that it was impossible to train the only other serviceable gun. Realising his hopeless position, the German pilot avoided further combat and vanished into the clouds.

In connection with the action by three Royal Air Force aircraft against a German raider which was attacking a British merchantman in the North Sea this morning, the three pilots were all sergeants and were on patrol off the Norfolk coast in their Spitfire fighters when they sighted the Heinkel bomber circling 50 feet above the ship. Each fighter in turn fired bursts as the enemy skimmed almost at sea level. One British pilot, swerving round from the attack, could see the bullets of another Spitfire hitting the Heinkel. When the enemy was last seen, the propellor of the port engine was turning slowly and smoke was coming from the port wing.