RAIDERS CRASH TO NIGHT FIGHTERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 109, 10 May 1941, Page 9

RAIDERS CRASH TO NIGHT FIGHTERS

MOONLIGHT CHASES

One Squadron Downs Six

In 45 Minutes

British Official Wireless. Rec. 12.30 p.m. RUGBY, May 9. R.A.F. fighters had another series of successes last night, destroying 12 enemy planes. In eight days of this month 87 raiders have now been accounted for, only three fewer than were brought down during the whole of April. A squadron of fighters, patrolling the area of the east coast, last night fan into a wave of enemy bombers coming in from the sea. One after another the night fighters picked out incoming raiders and closed in to attack. In 45 minutes the squadron had sent six crashing down and had damaged others. The squadron-leader saw three enemy bombers within a few minutes of each other. The first was in flames and being chased by another fighter, the second he shot down himself, and the third got away after a short exchange of shots. Two fell to a New Zealand pilot Who had already won the D.F.C. for night fighting successes. He got his brace last night within ten minutes of each other. The first went down in flames after its rear gunner had tried desperately to drive off the fighters. Then the New Zealander Picked up a second raider, and after a few bursts from his guns the fuselage exploded and the aircraft caught pre. It dived into the sea some miles from the shore. Another pilot In tfte same squadron chased a Junkers 88 in the moonlight for 30 miles out to sea, firing at it intermittently all the way. His nnal burst set it alight and it went down. The leader of another squadron snot down his second Dornier 17 in JJ9 nights. Further south a third •"gnt fighter squadron accounted for *~2 m ore raiders, one over the sea ■na one which crashed on the land, -."should not be assumed that the WODlem of night raiders has been SiiT™ °l lhat our ni ght fighters will K]* a ys be able to maintain such a *1E? average of success, says "The limes." The problem of finding the Sl? my P/ 1 dark nights remains difficult. More and more Royal Air th»« nignt fighters are operating, me effect of which is reflected in the increased toll of night raiders. Heavy Raids On Humber aJ*&* . fl cale of enemy attacks was iSf. neavy, the raiders concentrating particularly on the Humber area Sim. on , two districts in the north Midlands. On the Humber consider-

able damage was caused, and from preliminary reports casualties are likely to be heavy. Substantial damage was done in one area in the South Midlands, but casualties are reported to be not very heavy. Bombs were also dropped in eastern and south-eastern England and the London district, some causing serious damage. A small number of persons were killed. The Merseyside was attacked for the eighth successive night. Raiders were also over Northern Ireland. Among well-known buildings damaged in the recent raids on Plymouth were the Guildhall, the Atheneum the Plymouth Library and the Sailors' Rest.