AIR MASTERY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 August 1941, Page 5

AIR MASTERY

DEMONSTRATED BY R.A.F. VIGOROUS OFFENSIVE ACTION. ESCORTED SHIPS ATTACKED ON FRENCH COAST., LONDON, August 10. The R.A.F. has again demonstrated its mastery of the air in another successful sweep across the Channel. The Messerschmitts sighted showed little inclination to fight. British fighters escorted Blenheim bombers in a surprise attack on shipping off the French coast. The fighters silenced the fire from the escorting vessels. Two bombs hit a supply ship and smoke was seen to be coming from two of the escort ships. One of our fighters was hit and has not returned. Yesterday 18 enemy planes were shot down in an offensive sweep for the loss of 10 of ours. For the first time for many weeks enemy fighters made a brief appearance off the British coast today. They were up to their old trick of cloud hopping and were promptly pounced upon and sent back home. A group of mine-sweepers bagged a Messerschmitt 111. No damage or casualties were suffered by the ships. NAZI FIGHTERS MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED DESTROYED, SINCE MIDDLE OF JUNE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 9. The Air Ministry states that since the Royal Air Force began to take the offensive in a big way over the north of France in the middle of June, Fighter Command pilots have destroyed more than 300 Luftwaffe Messerschmitt 109 s. The pilots who shared in these successes were English, Australian, American, Belgian, Canadian, Czech, French, New Zealand, Norwegian, Polish, and South African. A Norwegian pilot said that the intelligence officer would not let him have his first MEIO9, for he did not see it crash, so the next time he shot down an ME he “went down too and saw him crash very well.” Ak. Australian pilot said that after tw,o bursts an ME “went down vertically smoking like a bad cigar." A South African said he “was struck by the MElO9s extreme manoeuvrcaollity, but that it was not quite good enough for a Spitfire.”