DRIVEN OFF.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1940, Page 5

DRIVEN OFF.

HEINKEL BOMBERS

Unsuccessful Attack Made On Convoy. FLEET AIR ARM KEPT EUSY. British Ofltelal Wireless." (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, March 22. An Admiralty .Press notice states that on Wednesday at 6.50 p.m. n flight of three licet-' air arm aircraft, funning pari of a convoy escort, made contact with an enemy formation of 10 lleinkcl 111 bombers. The leader of the licet air arm at once funned his Might into line astern and attacked the nearest, enemy machine.

The German machines, which had also been in line astern, at once broke formation and commenced unloading their bombs into the sea and climbing to the shelter of the clouds.

The pilot of (he leading British machine; however, manoeuvred into a favourable position and succeeded in remaining so placed until he had fired all his ammunition.

The. eneinv were then lost t-ight of in the clouds. ' Shortly afterwards several enemy aircraft reappeared and endeavoured to press home their attack on tlic convoy. The British machines were by this time split up, but one aircraft piloted by a petty ollicer attacked four eneinv machines and succeeded in driving them off. This action ended at 7 p.m.

At 7.">0 p.m. the same dav another flight of three Fleet Air Arm aircraft was returning from convoy escort duty when the observer in tile leader's 'plane noticed tiring to the seaward and the machine at once turned to investigate. A single enemy machine was sighted Ix-inir pursued by three aircraft of the Coastal Command of the 11. A.F. The Fleet Aii- Arm aircraft gave chase but the enemy was lost ill the clouds just before the Fleet Air Arm machines got within- range. The chase was broken off and the Fleet Air Arm was returning towards its base when the leader saw a German aircraft machine-gunning a

merchant ship. He gained position above the eneinv unobserved and dived to attack, closing lo within 50 yards' range of the German. At this distance the slip-stream of the large German machine affected the British aircraft and threw it,; sight ofT. The British machine nt once turned and renewed the attack, pressing it home to close range and tiring short bursts into the enemy with good effect. Quantities of oil poured from the German machine and this smothered the windscreen of the British aircraft. The pilot, however, was able lo see the enemy was climbing slowly towards the clouds with his undercarriage hanging down. The attack could not. however, be renewed, as the ammunition of the British aircraft was expended. Thorn seems no doubt, however, that this was the eneinv aircraft referred to ill 1 lie German High Command communique as having failed to return fo its base.