ATTACK THAT FAILED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 November 1940, Page 5

ATTACK THAT FAILED

MESSERSCHMITT SHOT DOWN BY BRITISH BOMBER SEEN TO CRASH & EXPLODE. SERGEANT-GUNNER’S STORY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY, November 28. An R.A.F. bomber’s unusual feat in shooting down an enemy fighter by night is described by a sergeant' air gunner. “We were on our way back from bombing Hamburg,” he said. “Two anti-aircraft shells hit us, but the aircraft was still in good shape. Over Bremerhaven, searchlights caught us, but there was no attempt to renew anti-aircraft fire. Very soon we saw why they were letting us alone. A Messerschmitt 109 was coming for us from behind a searchlight beam. When I saw it. there were only a hundred yards between us. There was a burst of machine-gun fire and a number of bullets hit us. I fired both guns and caught the Messerschmitt just as it did a steep bank right over our wing. My pilot told me afterwards he saw it bash past our nose, with flames pouring from it. A few seconds later I saw it again plunging straight down and hitting the ground. It exploded at once.”

' LIMITED DAMAGE RAIDS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SOME CIVILIAN DEATHS. (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, November 28. It is reliably estimated that 200 raiders operated against England last night, without causing extensive damage. A single raider in the morning dropped a dozen explosive bombs on a south-eastern town and then showers of incendiary bombs. The latter burnt themselves out with slight damage. Eight explosive bombs nearby straddled three roads in a housing estate. A few houses were damaged. There were no casualties. Bombs fell on another town when Hurricane fighters drove off two Messerschmitts, which unloaded their bombs to escape attack. A maternity home was damaged and many windows were blown out over a large area. Anti-aircraft guns were in action and fighters went up when several enemy formations crossed the southeast coast in the morning. Some of the raiders were turned back. Several small formations of raiders again crossed the coast in the afternoon. A number turned back after being engaged by fire from the ground. A Spitfire shot down a German fighter-bomber in flames over the Isle of Wight in the afternoon. The crew baled out. Six children and four adults were killed when a village and a south-west town were raided last night.

INVASION PORTS ATTACKED BY BRITISH BOMBERS. ONE PLANE FAILS TO RETURN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day( 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, November 28. “The main weight of last night’s bomber offensive was directed on targets in and around Cologne, which was heavily attacked.” says a communique. It adds: “Other aircraft bombed invasion ports at Antwerp, Le Havre and Boulogne and several enemy aerodromes. One of our aircraft is missing.”