FIGHTER BOMBERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 March 1941, Page 5

FIGHTER BOMBERS

EFFECTIVE JOB OVER ENEMY AERODROMES POUNCING ON WEARY NAZI CREWS. SOME SUCCESSES CLAIMED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright i (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, March. 9. The “Sunday Times” says although Hurricanes and Defiants are doing good work, in intercepting night bombers over England, perhaps the most straightforward and most effective job is being performed by night-flying Bristol-Blenheim 2 Moth fighter-bomb-ers, normally carrying three of a crew. These Blenheims sit about over the aerodromes in France used by thie enemy for night flying and pounce on weary bombers returning, the worse for wear, after a night over England. If the aerodrome landing-lights are switched on, to help the German bombers to descend safely, the Blenheims are given an excellent chance to pick them off as they glide to the ground. Light bombs are then dropped on the flare path to finish off the job. A number of bombers have been destroyed in this way. If the enemy bombers wex’e diverted to strange aerodromes, in order to avoid the Blenheims, they may be compelled to attempt a landing in the dark, thus greatly increasing the risk of crashing. Eventually these tactice may push back the bases from which bombers operate against Britain, which would be most satisfactory becauseit means increased expenditure of German petrol, decreased bombload, decreased time over Britain, more strain on the crews and machines and also more chance of raiders encountering bad weather.