FIERCE BATTLE

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20989, 16 December 1939, Page 7

FIERCE BATTLE

BRITISH ACTIVITY NAZI PLANES DESTROYED IN HELIGOLAND BIGHT (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright’ LONDON, Dec. 14 British reconnaissance aeroplanes shot down four Messerschmitt fighters in a fierce battle over the Heligoland Bight, says an official statement. Three Royal Air Force machines were lost. A communique states: “Throughout the past 24 hours considerable forces of the Royal Air Force have been operating in the North Sea. The operations included a wide search for enemy surface craft and submarines and a close reconnaissance of the estuaries and fortified islands of north-west Germany. “One formation engaged strong enemy fighter forces over the Heligoland Bight and an intense fight developed. Four Messerschmitt lighters and three of our aircraft were sent down. All our other formations returned without loss.” Fuller official details show that the British formations also encountered severe anti-aircraft fire from enemy cruisers, destroyers and a submarine. The latter first opened fire before diving to safety. After that German lighter aircraft repeatedly engaged

the British, but after 15 minutes a twin-engined enemy fighter crashed in flames. Three others met a similar fate. British Planes Missing One British aeroplane was shot down and two others are missing. The rest of the formation made a successful reconnaissance of the estuaries and fortified islands off north-west Germany. They flew sometimes less than .100 feet above the fortifications. The German wireless version stated: “A large-scale battle between German chasers and 12 of Britain’s most modern long-distance bombers occurred this afternoon between Wangeroog and Spierkeroog, near Wilhelmshaven. Sfx British machines were shot down and one German machine came down on the sea.” It was later claimed that eight British machines were shot down. Further details of the two recent engagements between coastal command aircraft and Dornier flyingboats over the North Sea show that the second combat was an almost exact repetition of the first, says the British official wireless. On each

occasion the British aircraft fired almost the same number of rounds of ammunition and did almost the same damage to the enemy. Both combats took place at the same height and in both cases a cloud bank provided the enemy with a ready means of escape. Guns Blazed Away In the first engagement the British aircraft were far out from their base, near Scandinavian waters, and flying low on account of heavy cloud, at 1200 feet. The enemy was a big twin-engined Dornier flying-boat. The British aircraft attacked and, for 28 minutes, fought the enemy in the narrow space between sea and cloud. The crew of the heavily-armed Dornier blazed away with all guns, as the pilot sought to out-manoeuvre the pursuers, but the British pilots were too quick for the enemy gunners. Keeping well out of the field of fire, they manoeuvred their aircraft for their own gunners to get to work. Finally, with both rear gunners hit, Diesel oil tanks punctured and fuel streaming from the nacelles and sponsons, the enemy machine gave up the fight and struggled into the obscurity of the cloud. The British aircraft then proceeded on patrol. Enemy Sought Shelter An hour later, over 100 miles away, the same British crews encountered another enemy Dornier and again attacked. This time the fight lasted only 10 minutes before the enemy aircraft —the rear gunners hit and black oil and smoke pouring from it—sought refuge in low cloudbanks. The oil and smoke left a trail fully a mile long. It would be surprising if cither of the crippled German machines were capable of reaching its base. German Fleet At Sea The air battle over Heligoland Bight followed the discovery by the Royal Air Force that a German fleet, consisting of a battleship, a cruiser, some destroyers and a submarine, was at sea. German aeroplanes launched six waves of attacks with the view to preventing the British aircraft from returning with news of their discovery. Germans Taken by Surprise During a close reconnaissance of fortified islands on the north-west coast of Germany our aircraft, in order to obtain the information required., were at times flying just below the cloud base and at less than 100 ft above the island fortifications. Though the sudden appearance of low-flying aircraft took the antiaircraft defences largely by surprise several batteries opened a belated fire but without success. Enemy fighters also came up *o engage one of our aircraft, but the British pilot took cover in the prevailing low clouds, and, having eluded the fighter, emerged to continue his interrupted reconnaissance. After circling the islands our aircraft completed their task and returned safely to their bases, after a successful reconnaissance of nearly five hours’ duration. LONDON, Dec. 15 The disclosure that the Royal Air Force planes discovered a section of the German fleet in the North Sea throws a new light on the Heligoland air battle. British planes, not security patrols, went to the North Sea on a reconnaissance and saw the warships. A few minutes later the Mess<4ischniitts engaged them and the warsmps tired during intervals of the air fighting.