NAZI FIGHTER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 June 1941, Page 5

NAZI FIGHTER

SHOT DOWN BY BRITISH BOMBER. SECOND ENEMY MACHINE PUT TO FLIGHT. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 11. Details of a running fight between a heavy R.A.F. bomber and two Messerschmitts in which one Messerschmitt was destroyed, are contained in an Air Ministry bulletin. Off the Dutch' Frisian island of Vlieland the bomber’s rear gunner saw a Messerschmitt 109 climbing to intercept it. The Messerschmitt was soon joined by another. The bomber dived down almost to sea level, and a running fight began which lasted foils minutes, with the bomber and the two fighters about 100 feet above the Waves.

The fighters made three attacks, coming in simultaneously, one from port and the other from starboard. They opened fire at 300 yards with cannon and machine-guns, and closed to about 150 yards before wheeling away. In the last of these attacks one of the fighters met its end. The rear gunner brought it. down as the fighter turned away to port after making its attack. The captain of the bomber said: “The rear gunner told me to turn to starboard. That brought our tail round toward the fighter, and the gunner got a long burst right into him. He just slid olf his turn into the sea. “The other Messerschmitt went on with the fight on its own, and made seven or eight further attacks, but did not come in too close. Each time the fighter came the rear gunner told the captain which way to turn to avoid attack, and the bomber dodged the Messerschmitt every time. At last the enemy climbed and came in on the starboard bow, and the front gunner had a shot at him. A sharp burst sent him away for good.”