CAUGHT NAPPING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1940, Page 7

CAUGHT NAPPING.

GERMAN RAIDER.

Attack Made By R.A.F. Single

Spitfire.

NAZI MACHINE DISABLED. British Official Wireless. (Received 1_'.30 p.m.) RUGBY, March 31. A Dornier raider was caught napping by a single Spitfire of the R.A.F. Fighter Command far out over the North Sea to-day. When last seen by the Spitfire, the Dornier was flying low over the water in a disabled condition. The Spitfire, with one other fighter from the same squadron, was on patrol shortly after noon off the Suffolk coast and was flying at about 10,000 ft, when the pilot sighted what seemed to be an enemy aircraft 1000 ft below.

He recognised it as a Dornier, but to his surprise the enemy did not appear to see him. Slipping* astern of the Dornier, he fired two bursts of machinegun bullets. The German pilot, awakening to his danger, stalled and went into a steep dive of 1.1.000 ft down to sea level.

The Spitfire pilot followed, watch in" as he dived the German air gunner tiro for ten seconds without diet. At sea level the Dornier flattened out and flew eastwards with black smoke pouring from the starboard engine and witli the starboard wing down.

A French official coniinuniijiic st-jtes that there was "fairly intensive activitv of both Air Forces."*

British fighters drove off enemy 'planes approaching the Shetland Islands to-day, says a cable message. No bombs were dropped.

A 'plane, believed to be a German, was also seen in the Orkneys and was driven off by anti-aircraft guns. The Admiralty announces that enemy aircraft attempted to attack British convoys in the North Sea last ni<rht, but were driven off without damage to the convovs.

The Berlin official news agency admits that one of the bombers which attacked the convoys is missing. It claims that a cruiser protecting the convoy was hit and that a ship in one convoy was sunk. The agency adds: "The result of the attack could not fully be observed owin~ to mist." "

An aeroplane crashed on the sea off Northumberland last night. A lifeboat crew found only patches of oil. The Air Ministry says the aeroplane was the one which the Germans admit Mas lost in the attack on the convoys.