COMBATS BY DAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 May 1941, Page 5

COMBATS BY DAY

OFF BRITISH SOUTH-EAST COAST ONE SQUADRON SHOOTS DOWN SIX MESSERSCHMITTS. PILOT'S STORY OF ACTION. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. May 7. An Air Ministry communique describes the enemy activity off the southeast coast today as considerable. The Ministry’s news service states that fighters of the R.A.F. have had a busy and successful day. having managed to bring to battle a number of German fighters on patrol off the northern coast of France and in the Straits of Dover after weeks of being unable to make them fight.

In the process, in addition to shooting down six enemy fighters, they severely damaged a number of others. All the German fighters destroyed were Messerschmitt 109 s.

One Spitfire squadron got the six in three different dogfights off the Kentish coast. The first, battle began soon after dawn, two being shot down in this engagement. It was a “free-for-all” which began when four Spitfires from the squadron intercepted eight Messerschmitts. Describing the action, one pilot said: “They were a short distance away, flying in line astern, when we first saw them. I turned in on the enemy and they at once formed a defensive circle, but this soon broke up when we went into the attack. I gave one German a good burst and then broke away. When I turned back he was slowly spinning down.”

Another pilot in the same section of the squadron began an attack on a Messerschmitt 109 from a considerable distance. The enemy dived straight down to sea level but was overtaken. Trying to climb away, he was fired at again and black smoke poured from the engine. He rolled over on his back and dived straight down to the sea. In addition to the six Nazi fighters an enemy bomber was shot down this evening by R.A.F. fighters and another hostile aircraft was destroyed off the east coast of Scotland, bringing the number of enemy aircraft destroyed during daylight today to eight. FIGHTER PILOTS SEEN OFF BY THE KING. ENEMY LOSSES ON WEDNESDAY. LONDON. May 8. One famous British fighter squadron was seen off into the sky by the King.

He shook hands with the pilots and wished them luck a few minutes before they took off. A pilot who has lately made a habit of bagging two enemy bombers in a night again brought down two in quick succession. Yesterday in daylight German fighters and fighter-bombers made raids across the Straits of Dover reminiscent of the closing stages of the Battle of Britain. Royal Air Force fighters intercepted them and with the loss of two planes shot down six of the enemy. Two other daylight bombers were also destroyed.