FORCED LANDINGS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1943, Page 4

FORCED LANDINGS

AFTER RECENT DARWiN BATTLE

CAUSED BY SHORTAGE OF PETROL. SIX SPITFIRES SALVAGED. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) -SYDNEY, This Day. Six Spitfires, unable, because of oetrol shortage to return to their bases, sollowing upon the battle with a targe force of Japanese aircraft over the Darwin area on May 2, have been recovered by a repair and salvage unit. Three of the recovered planes will be back in service very soon. The others will provide parts for replacements. Three of the Spitfires made forced landings on beaches. Damage to these is confined to slight corroding, due to salt water action since the planes were covered with sea water at each high tide. The other Spitfires were landed in scrub. Their recovery involved arduous journeys through trackless country by salvage crews. A mobile crane, especially designed for this work, was used to recover the aircraft. These salvaging operations mean that our losses in the engagement against the Japanese were not so heavy as was at first believed. ■The pilots of the salvaged planes all got safely back to their bases. One, after successfully landing his plane on a beach, realised that the tide would cover it, and extracted valuable apparatus. He used a coin as a screwdriver.