BRILLIANT VICTORY FOR R.A.F FIGHTERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 113, 15 May 1942, Page 5

BRILLIANT VICTORY FOR R.A.F FIGHTERS

"THE PILOT'S DREAM"

13 Troop-Carriers Shot Into Mediterranean

British Official Wireless Rec. noon. RUGBY, May 14. , A fuller account is now given of r t ecent brilliant action in the an.| r f ane ??' m which 13 Junkers Messerschmitts 110 were afrcraft e loss of one RA.F.

fighter aircraft were returnnl I?£lAu Weep on Tuesday morning when they encountered a large formation of enemy aircraft carrying troops over the Mediterranean. The aircraft were sighted about 50ft over the sea and the R.A.F. fighters immediately went into attacK.

„ In , a few moments the first Junkers 52 plunged into the waves. "I've never seen anything like the next 15 minutes, said one pilot. "One after another they just crashed in flames."

The operation was led by an Australian wing-commancer, D.F.C. and bar, who shot down one Junkers 52. The rest of the bag was shared by British Australian and Canadian pilots.

As tne TDattle was fought at such a low altitude, it was clearly seen Many troops were being transported in large numbers and men were observed trying to swim away from burning wreckage on the oil-covered sea.

"I have never seen anything like it," declared one pilot, according to a broadcast story. "It was a picnic every pilot dreams about."

The Germans fired Tommv-guns at random in a frantic effort to beat off the attack.

The squadron engaged in this operation had already a notable victory to its credit. It had shot down 12 Junkers 88 in one afternoon—one Australian on that occasion scoring five.