AIR FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 February 1940, Page 6

AIR FIGHTING

DESTRUCTION OF GERMAN RAIDERS VAIN SEARCH FOR MEMBERS OF CREW. o LOSS OF BRITISH MACHINE AT HELIGOLAND. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day. 11.50 a.m.) LONDON. February 27. The shooting down of two Heinkels ended one of the liveliest periods of air activity since the outbreak of war. Less than an hour after the destruction of the first raider at the Firth of Forth. Spitfires sighted the other Heinkel, which dived down over the sea. The Spitfires followed, attacking only twenty feet above the water. A Royal Air Force pilot, after several bursts of machine-gun fire, saw the Heinkel's starboard engine fail and a large piece of the plane fall oft. The machine settled down on the sea and three members of the crew launched a rubber boat. Royal Ail- Force cutters searched for several hours for the German crew but the conditions were unfavourable and the search finally was given up at nightfall, when hope of rescue was slight. While the Spitfires were fiercely engaging the Heinkels oft the British coast, the Germans challenged a further Royal Air Force reconnaissance flight over Heligoland Bight. The Air Ministry, describing the flight as successful, adds that one of our machines failed to return. This accords with the German Official News Agency claim that a British plane was shot, down during the afternoon.