JUNKERS SHOT DOWN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 October 1940, Page 5

JUNKERS SHOT DOWN

EXPLOIT OF BRITISH AIR

PUPILS ENEMY SENT DIVING INTO SEA. VAIN SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 12. A Junkers 88 was shot down into the sea ■ off the Scottish coast yesterday after a brief'encounter with a British bomber manned entirely by pupils under training. The British aircraft was a, heavy night-bomber type and 'was engaged on a daylight exercise flight when lhe enemy machine was sighted approaching ' the Scottish coast. The German pilot turned in to the attack from the bomber’s port quarter and, opening fire with the front guns at 150 yards, passed right underneath the British aircraft. Swinging his turret- as the Junkers swept past below, the British rear gunner caught the enemy bomber as it reappeared on the starboard quarter, and three short bursts sent it diving into the sea. After a vain search for survivors the crew resumed its interrupted training flight, the whole, encounter having lasted 45 seconds.

PILOT’S “DAY OFF”

MESSERSCHMITT DESTROYED. DURING VISIT TO FORMER SQUADRON. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 12. An Air Ministry bulletin tells how a squadron leader, possessor of the D.F.C. and a bar, spent his “day off” today. He went to visit a squadron of which till lately he was flight commander. He took the air with his own comrades and destroyed a Messerschmitt 109, the twentieth enemy aircraft he had brought down. He said: “We took off just before 9 a.m. Looking round at about 18,000 feet I saw a dogfight going on behind me. There were about 20 Me 1,09’5. some in pairs and others flying on their own. They were just milling about at anything from 100 feet above us to 2000 feet below. “I noticed two flying in line astern about 150 yards apart. The leading Messerschmitt looked to be the offensive partner, so I got in a quick squirt, at the rear one and he wheeled straight down into the blue. I went straight on to the leading Messerschmitt and gave it a long burst. This pilot was quite good. He played round for a while but eventually I got him. I left him going in the clouds at 4000 feet; a great deal of smoke was already coming from him and the right wing was down. The pilot baled out.” A few weeks ago when still flight commander with a former squadron, this airman had a similar experience. He was coming to London on leave, and as he had some way to go and his Spitfire was in need of slight repairs he was allowed to fly it to a London aerodrome. There he was told a raid was going on. He obtained permission to go up, and near the coast he found two Junkers 88’s at 1500 feet flying together. He overtook them, swung round and made a head-on attack. Both dived to sea level. He attacked again and one went straight down into the sea. The other hit the Spitfire with a cannon shell. He managed to get back 35 to 40 miles and finally baled out over land.