LOW LEVEL ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 September 1941, Page 5

LOW LEVEL ATTACK

ON HEAVILY ESCORTED NAZI CONVOY. PILOT AWARDED THE D.F.C. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 3. A pilot of the Royal Air Force Coastal Command has just been awarded the D.F.C. for the courage with which he carried out an attack on a heavily escorted German shipping convoy after he had seen his leader shot down in flames and he himself had hit the sea and flown off again. His aircraft was one of two Hudsons which were carrying out an offensive patrol against enemy shipping off the Dutch coast in full daylight and in bad weather. It came across a German convoy escorted by five destroyers, an unusually heavy escort even for German supply ships. The destroyers as well as the convoy opened fire directly they sighted the Hudsons. Flying only a few feet above sea level in order to make a mast-high attack, the Hudson struck the water and the tip of the port wing for about 31 fept was torn clear away by the impact of the waves. However, the plane flew well in spite of the damage, and the pilot therefore turned the nose toward the convoy again, made an attack and then brought the aircraft safely home.