HID IN CLOUDS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21177, 29 July 1940, Page 8

HID IN CLOUDS

RAIDS ON BRITAIN THRILLrNG AIR BATTLES NAZIS BROUGHT DOWN (United Press Assn.—Klee. Tel. Copyright) (Received July 29, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, July 28 There was a series of air battles over south-east England this afternoon after the raiders had crossed the coast at a high altitude. Observers heard machine-gun lire ana cannon tire above the clouds, also planes diving at tremendous speed. Royal Air Force fighters, flying at from 10,000 to 20,000 feet, hunted the raiders, who hid in the clouds. The battle covered miles of sky over the countryside. It is estimated that 70 planes participated. A German raider who emerged from cover of a cloud found a British lighter sitting on its tail. After a short chase out to sea the fighter got in a sharp burst, and the enemy crashed in flames in midChannel. Two members of the crew escaped by parachute. British torpedo-boats dashed out and picked them up. Two German planes were brought down several miles inland. No bombs were dropped in this series of battles. Ten bombs were dropped on Wales, mostly in fields. There were no casualties. Pilot's Graphic Story Details of tiie attacks on German supply-ships reveal that an Ameri-can-built Hudson aircraft of the ; Coastal Command severely damaged two supply ships last night and bombed others. A Messerschmitt which attempted to interfere was shot down. The first attack was made off the Norwegian coast by a pilot who comes from Stellartcn, Nova Scotia. The Hudson was patrolling near Stavanger wnen the pilot saw in the I distance a German supply ship. He dived on it and dropped his bombs. The pilot said: “As we turned away after our dive three Messerschmitts 109’s came for us avid a few of their shots went into our tail and damaged the starboard rudder. I turned to allow my rear gunner to get one Messerschmitt into his sights. The Messerschmitt fell away out of control and crashed in the sea. We were into the clouds before the other two enemy machines had time to open their attack.” An hour later. off the Dutch coast, another Hudson saw three armed supply ships. He scored a direct hit on the stern of one with a heavy j bomb and the ship appeared to be i sinking. Nazis Hit-and Run Tactics Hew methods have been used dur- ! ing the week-end by the German Air r orce to make the tip-and-run raids on British harbours safer. Messerschmitt 109*s and singleseater fighters no bigger than Spitfires and Hurricanes dropped bombs. These Messerschmitts, which arc fitted to carry high explosive bombs, fly in high and dive out of clouds to drop the bombs, and then try to make for home before the British fighters can catch them. The Germans have found the British fliers taking too heavy a toll of their regular bombers on these coastal raids. They hope by using highspeed fighters to save aircraft fend, what is more important, save pilots, but these tactics are not proving too successful. During the past few days Spitfires and Hurricanes have shot down at least 31 Messerschmitt 109’s. In yesterday afternoon's fight off the south-east coast of England Spitfires shot down five of them and damaged several others. Two other aircraft were shot down into the English Channel by Hurricanes. This brought the total number of Nazi raiders destroyed this week-end to 13. Nazi Planes Shot Down It is officially stated that nine enemy planes were destroyed on Sunday. Two of our lighters were lost, but one pilot is safe, although wounded. Five German fighters were shot down in the afternoon. Our fighters later shot down two more planes over the Channel. Crashed Into Sea The big air battle of the day took place off the south-east coast early \ in the afternoon, when waves of Messerschmitt 109’s, flying nearly six miles up, dived out of the sun. Spitfires raced up to intercept them. Two shot down by the pilots of one squadron were seen to crash into the sea. A third exploded in mid-air. The pilots of another Spitfire squadron first attacked the Messerschmitts when they were flying in ! line abreast at a height of 30,000 feet. One enemy fighter, after being attacked, went down vertically, enveloped in smoke. A fellow Spitfire pilot, flying 20.000 feet below, saw the same crippled Messerschmitt still diving toward the sea. Later a British flight-lieutenant sent a Messerschmitt down in a spin j on fire. The same pilot attacked and j hit one of the latest enemy fighter Heinkel 113’s. The first enemy aircraft Junkers ! 88 bomber destroyed during the day j was shot down off the south-west j coast of England by Spitfires soon I after dawn. Shortly afterwards another Junkers j 88 bomber was brought down on the | south-east coast of England. British People’s Calmness The localities in Britain which ! have had air raids are still quite a j small part of the whole country, but \ in regions most frequently mentioned | in the Ministry of Home Security’s announcements there are a few 1 places where, during the last six i weeks, siren warnings, the drone of I engines, gunfire and occasional \ bombs have become very familiar. ' The experience in these areas of people’s calmness, patience. 1 Irrcsprcssible toutl humour ami

I kindliness to each other leaves no doubt as to how the rest of i Britain will behave when its j turn comes or how the nation j as a whole will stand up to the gfegr menace. i Whenever Hitler’s “ travellers ” have called with samples of their might and menace the determination to liberate the world from domination by terrorism may be a little more grim than elsewhere, but there is no despondency. The inhabitants are showing great adaptability and ingenuity in overcoming the inconvenience and disturbances to the normal routine caused by the regularly repeated warnings and raids. To avoid the fatigue due to interrupted rest many ' people have changed their sleeping hours and others sleep in shelters. In many streets of small houses common shelters have been erected by the authorities, and where the j warnings are mostly a nightly occurrence. neigbourllness is joined by something of a picnic spirit. Wives take it in turn to provide hot drinks, the men arrange games, and concerts are provided by the young people, adjacent shelters sometimes exchang- ! ing the more successful “ artists,” whose prospective “ appearance ” is duly “ billed ” the previous day. Such is the resilience of spirit with which the enemy raids on Britain have been met so far. Polish Seaman’s Exciting Experience A high Polish Air Force officer now visiting a station in the Royal Air Force Bomber Command, has given his impressions after being taken as a member of a crew on an operation flight over Germany. The aircraft in which he was flying was one which successsfully attacked an aircraft factory at Gotha. These works are engaged in assembling Messerschmitt fighters and raiding types, as well as the production of heavy tanks. ! The Polish officer said: “ The imj pression most strongly in my mind is ! the perfect collaboration of the crew. I never imagined that it could reach such a high standard. Every man was quiet and confident. Each knew what his task was and did it without fuss or bother. The navigation was very exact. We were over the target practically to the minute on the estimated time of arrival which had been set in advance. 1 was astonished at that because the weather conditions were poor. Most of the time we were flying in a cloud. “ On the way out the bomber shot down a Messerschmitt 109. I was sitting in the second pilot’s seat, so could not see the engagement. It lasted only a minute or so. First I . heard the sound of firing from the ! attacking aircraft, then right after 1 tl*U I heard firing from our own rear • guns. Then, a minute later, the pilot ' said to me: ‘ One Messerschmitt rej ported down. Very good.’ Aircraft Factory Bombed i “We passed north of the Ruhr. The | lire and searchlights there were very j strong, but the pilot was all the time j varying the course of speed and j height, so we were not hit. After I we had bombed the aircraft factory j he turned to observe the effect of I the attack. I saw several bright fires, | which we had started, j “ The preceding bomber also had 1 started two or three fires among the j buildings. I was very glad to have the opportunity of taking part in this raid, for I have seen something of ! what the Germans have done to us j in my own country.” Public Subscribes £2,048,521 ! Lord Beaverbrook announced that i the public has subscribed £2,048,52i to buy vaiiouo types of aacrait.