STRONG OPPOSITION

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21205, 30 August 1940, Page 7

STRONG OPPOSITION

BOMBERS OVER KIEL PILOT’S DRAMATIC STORY One British pilot, who took part in the heavy bombing attack on the naval dockyard at Kiel describes flying at an extremely low altitude when making the attack, and says he gave the order to release the bombs at 800 feet. “We shot down to 100 feet over the mole and just above the water there seemed to be more searchlights than ever. At times I was blinded. It was impossible to see the results of the bombing. Suddenly, in front of me, I saw a lot of trees coming up straight ahead. One of the searchlights, flattening out in trying to capture us, had illuminated them just in time for me to see them. I pulled the aircraft up and went over the top. The trouble was that we didn’t dare go up too high because as soon as we did every gun in the place started opening up. “I tried going up to 300 feet, but all the guns in the area seemed to be banging away at us. It was incredible. We went down low again and flew over the -town at about a 100 feet. The front and rear-gun-ners were blazing away at the points of fire on the ground. They used up about 3000 rounds between them. We must have stayed over the town about ten minutes, just charging backwards and forwards trying to get away. Terrific Barrage Put Up “Practically all the time we were about 100 feet up. I was trying to head west but as soon as I did they put up a terrific barrage in front of us. I just hoped to get out of it but I must say that I never really expected we would. We went south, zig-zagging all the time. We got about 15 miles away, and then, although we were being shot at, we were able to gain height. “As we went up we had to take violent evasive action all the time. Finally we got away.”