AIR FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 March 1940, Page 6

AIR FIGHTING

DASHING WORK BY BRITISH MACHINES

NUMBER OF ENEMY PLANES PUT TO FLIGHT.

ONE LARGE MACHINE DAMAGED

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.)

RUGBY, March 22.

An Admiralty Press notice states that on Wednesday, at 6.50 p.m., a flight of three Fleet Air Arm aircraft, forming part of a convoy escort, made contact with an enemy formation of ten Heinkel 111 bombers. The leader of the Fleet Air Arm at once formed l.is flight into line astern and attacked Ihc nearest enemy machine. The German machines, which had also been in line astern, at once broke formation and commenced unloading their bombs into the sea and climbing to shelter in clouds. The pilot of the leading British machine, however, manoeuvred into a favourable position and succeeded in remaining so placed until he had fired all his ammunition. The enemy were then lost sight of m the clouds. Shortly afterwards, several enemy aircraft reappeared and endeavoured bj press home their attack on the convoy. The British machines were by this lime split up, but one aircraft, piloted by a petty-officer. attacked four enemy machines and succeeded in driving them off. This action ended at 7 p.m. At 7.30 p.m. on the same day, another flight of three Fleet Air Arm aircraft was returning from convoy escort duty when an observer in the leading aircraft noticed firing to seaward and at once turned to investigate. A single enemy machine was sighted being pursued by three aircraft of the Coastal Command of the Royal Air Force. The Fleet Air Arm aircraft gave chase, but the enemy was lost in the clouds just before the Meet Air Arm machines got within range. The chase was broken off, and the Fleet Air Arm flight was returning towards its base, when the leader saw a German aircraft machine-gunning a merchant ship. He gained position above the enemy unobserved, and dived to the attack, closing to within fifty yards range of the German. At this distance the slipstream of the large German machine affected the British aircraft and threw the sight off. The British machine at once turned and renewed the attack, pressing it home to close range and firing short bursts into the enemy with good effect. Quantities of oil poured from the German machine and this smothered the windscreen of the British aircraft. The pilot, however, was able to see that the enemy was climbing slowly towards the clouds with his undercarriage hanging down. The attack could not, however, be renewed, as the ammunition of the British aircraft was expended. There seems to be no doubt, however, that this was the enemy aircraft referred to in a German High Command communique as having failed to return to its base.