DOWN IN FLAMES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 207, 1 September 1943, Page 2

DOWN IN FLAMES

ENEMY NIGHT RAIDER VICTORY OVER GUADALCANAR (Official Correspondent) , GUADALCANAR. New Zealanders were among thousands of Allied servicemen who saw the destruction of a Japanese night raider by an American fighter near Guadalcanal- recently. The fight lasted only a few minutes,, the raider being shot down in flames near north-western Guadalcanal'. An open-air picture show at a New Zealand camp was interrupted when the raider approached, and many Dominion airmen and United States soldiers saw the battle from a distance. An army night figiiter had taken off some time earlier, and disappeared, and the successful interception was not unexpected. With both aircraft invisible from the ground, the first indication that battle had been joined was the appearance, high in the sky, of twinkling trails of tracer ammunition. It immediately became apparent that the fighter was chasing the raider and a few New Zealanders who had gathered near a short-wave radio heard the exultant comments of the young American pilot. ''I'm right behind the sucker," he yelled. And in the same instant the thousands watching saw fresh spurts of tracer. Evidently the shells and bullets bit deep, for a second later a glow was seen, a glow that spread and reddened as the raider caught fire.

Like a comet the burning enemy hurtled across the sky, with the American following and pouring in ammunition. Trailing flame, the Japanese bomber dropped headlong, and while thousands cheered, it appeared to explode in full flight, for a violent flash was followed by utter darkness And the airmen on Guadalcanal', heads turned skyward, could see only the tropic stars, and hear the happy song of the fighter's motor.