TfIIHLLHG EXTLOn BY ur. FLYERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 88, 13 April 1940, Page 9

TfIIHLLHG EXTLOn BY ur. FLYERS.

ATTACK ON CONVOY. Ships Detected By Use Of Parachute Flares. NOTED N.Z. AIRMAN'S PART. British Official Wireless. (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, April 12. The German supply ship which was successfully bombed by the Royal An- Force in Danish waters on Thursday n:ght was first detected by the light of a parachute flaic dropped by attacking aircraft.

"Hie night was pitch dark," said the captain of one of the British aircraft, describing his experiences, "and at first there appeared to be very little traffic in the target area. Then we spotted a faint, small light bobbing on the dark surface of the water. It seemed worth investigation, so, coming down low. we turned sharply towards it and released a parachute flare.

"The dazzling light made the sea almost as blight as day and below us I ,u saw about ten grey-coloured ships, steaming north in company at about 10 knots. 'Flaming onions' and antiaircraft (ire came sailing up at us as we manoeuvred into position, and with our target clearly illuminated by the slowly descending flares we launched our attack. "Mighty Explosion." '•We dropped several bombs in quick succession and it was the last to go that found a target. There was a mightv explosion, as if an ammunition store had been blown or a boiier had exploded. We were jerked about oOft upwards bv the force of the explosion and our tail gunner when he had recovered his balance reported that sparks of fire could be seen shooting out from the ship."

Th« captain of this aircraft is a squadron leader who has been in the R.A.F. since he was 17$ years of age. He was also the fiiot of the first, aircraft to bomb Syit in the recent raid. £lis second pilot last night was a young New Zcalander, a former wool buyer of Masterton, who also has previous exploits to his credit, having been a member of the crew who last November brought their bomber safely home across the North Sea after the greater part of the covering of one wing had been stripped off over Germany.