FIGHTER PILOTS

RAIDS OVER FRANCE

MAN FROM WANGANUI

(0.C.)

AND MISSING AUCKLANDER

LONDON, May 5

A New Zealand fighter pilot recently shot down two Nazis in the course of a daylight sweep over France. He was Pilot Officer R.

L. Spurdle, of Wanganui, who thus brought his score up to four defi-

nite Nazis and two probables,

"We were acting as a high cover patrol for bombers that were making a daylight raid on France," said Pilot Officer Spurdle. "We had been cruising up and down off the French coast between Cap Gris Nez and Boulogne at about 25,000 feet when we saw some Germans above us. They were in two formations—a three and a seven. They passed by at about 300 feet above us. We broke formation and turned towards them, and I was lucky enough to get the leader as I climbed up from below him. He blew up and caught fire and went straight down. At the same time, one of our chaps got another of the seven, leaving five.

"After having got in my squirt I went into a spin for about 5000 feet so that if a German was on my tail he would think I had 'bought' it.

"Coming out of the spin, I set off after the five Nazis—they were Messerschmitt 109's —and managed to get in three shots at one. It broke away. I had probably damaged him, but I didn't see him go down. The other four came after me so I went down to 15,000 feet towards our coast. They didn't continue to follow me and I pulled out of the dive about ten miles ofi" Rainsgate. ANOTHER DEFINITELY DESTROYED. "The next thing I saw was a lone Spitfire. An Me. 109 arrived and shot it down from behind. The German was using cannon shells, and a great cloud of brown smoke came from the Spitfire as it was hit. Afterwards I heard [ that the British pilot had managed to glide back and crash land. He was not injured. "After the Messerschmitt had sent down the Spitfire he did a left-hand vertical turn. I flew straight at him and opened fire at about 500 yards, firing all the time as It closed up. He went down with long trails of smoke streaming from him and crashed off the Goodwin Sands."

Pilot Officer Spurdle has also taken part in "mosquito" raids. This is the name given to the patrols carried out by Spitfires working in pairs. They fly over the French coast "looking for trouble."

"We crossed the coast in about a quarter of an hour after leaving England and flew over Gravelines," said Pilot Officer Spurdle. "There was poor visibility, and we flew under the cloud base. We came out above the St. Omer aerodrome in occupied France. We could see nothing, and no anti-air-craft fire greeted us.

"As we flew on we saw an Me. 109 which had crash landed in a field. We circled round it several times and the other pilot gave it a burst or two with his machine-guns, just to make sure of it, while I patrolled above him. Then we went up to the cloud base again. ATTACKER LATER DOWNED. "About three minutes later there was a tremendous crash and streams of tracer bullets and cannon shells started to go by me. There was a Messerschmitt right on our tvils. I did a right-hand turn, and got hit again by a lull deflection shot, an explosive bullet hitting the perspec hood eight inches above my head. It was a bit too close, so I shot up into the clouds. The other pilot was not hit, but I lost | him and did not see him until I got j back. "I found that all my gyro instruments for blind-flying in the clouds were useless and after about three minutes I came down below the clouds to see where I was before setting back for home. "As I came down I saw a Me. 110, and it must have been the one that fired at me. He was flying at about 400 feet and going fairly slowly. I got in a squirt at him of about four seconds and he crashed into a field. I saw the rear-gunner get out and dash across to some woods. I could see that the Messerschmitt had crashed fairly heavily but as it was possible that it could be repaired- and used again I can only claim it as a probable. "It was time I was getting back home so I got into the clouds again and arrived over England in about, 25 minutes. When I landed I found that the port aileron controls had been shot away and that I had been flying along with only a right wing working properly. I think I was pretty lucky to | SAVED BY AUCKLANDER.j Some months ago Pilot Officer Spuvdle's life was saved when Pilot j Officer E. W. G. Churches (Auckland) flew round him to keep off a Messerschmitt while he came down by parachute.

Pilot Officer Spurdle was patrolling in a section of three with Pilot Officer Churches when the latter collected his third Nazi. They were flying on patrol when they saw three MelO9's approaching. The Messerschmitts were fly~ ing high, shedding streaks of vapour trails behind them. Churches selected one, which took evasive action, but the New Zealander was on his tail and fired a burst which sent the German down. Churches continued to dive after the Nazi and Spurdle followed him down to protect his tail. The Auckland boy was subsequently reported to be missing.