AIRMEN’S HAT TRICK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 May 1941, Page 5

AIRMEN’S HAT TRICK

DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY RAIDERS. FEATS OF NIGHT FIGHTER CREWS. (Rrilish Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 4. Three sergeants who form Die crew of an American-built Havoc fighter brought off the hat trick on Saturday night when they shot down their third enemy raider on their third trip over enemy territory. Last night's victim was a Junkers 88 bomber which the Havoc crew caught flying near its base in northern France. Struck by a burst of fire from the Havoc’s front guns the raider blew up in midair. Four nights earlier the same crew, flying a Havoc over enemy territory for the first time, shot down an enemy aircraft which attacked them over northern France. On their next flight over France three nights later they accounted for the second enemy bomber after diving on it at 300 miles an hour and scoring hits with their front guns. The raider then blew up and the Havoc was hurled upward by the blast of the explosion. The three sergeants are in their twenties.

Other notable incidents in last night’s brilliant defensive operations abound. One wing commander destroyed two enemy aircraft in a single patrol. A flight lieutenant from another squadron. having shot down one bomber, was about to open fire on a second when it burst into flames and crashed. A night fighter squadron leader, who had already brought down 10 German aircraft at night, increased his score to 11. An Australian pilot with a New Zealander as air gunner shot down a Dornier over North Wales after attacking and severely damaging a Junkers 88 over Merseyside. The combats took place, within 20 minutes.