AIR INTRUDERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1942, Page 3

AIR INTRUDERS

FIGHTERS PLAY IMPORTANT ■I PART IN RAIDS ON THE RUHR. KEEPING ENEMY DEFENCES BUSY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY, June 2. The R.A.F. Fighter Command, playing an important part in the latest raid on the Ruhr, sent out one of its largest “intrude” forces of the war with the dual object of raiding enemy-occupied territory and diverting the enemy defences from our main bomber forces. Flying into Germany, Bostons and bomb-carrying Hurricanes, while drawing to themselves the attention of the enemy’s anti-aircraft gunners, for example, bombed several airfields and attacked shipping and railways in Holland, Belgium and France. At least one enemy aircraft was destroyed. Hardly had the last of the night intruders over occupied territory landed than day squadrons were in action this morning, with a large-scale sweep over the Gavelines-Hardelot area. With Spitfires went bomb-carrying Hurricanes. A formation of Spitfires drove off a force of Focke-Wulf 190 s, though they were outnumbered four to one. One Hurricane pilot, flying fifteen miles inside France had most of the fin and practically the whole starboard tail of his plane destroyed by the propeller of another aircraft. Nevetheless he was able to go on to bomb a railway station before turning for home, where he landed safely at 120 miles per hour, without any flaps.