PILOT'S ALERTNESS
New Zealander Leads Attack On Enemy Landing Strip
TARGET HID IN WOODS N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. noon. LONDON, Feb. 14. The alertness of a New Zealand Tempest pilot led to an attack on a Luftwaffe landing strip, tucked away in the woods south of Hanover, recently, states the Air Ministry news service. He was Pilot-Officer Owen Eagleson. "Visibility was poor and we were flying just under a cloud layer at 2000 ft when we passed over the woods," said Pilot-Officer Eagleson. "I spotted about 20 aircraft. They were Junkers 52, and we shot them up." He and Flying-Officer John Stafford, of Rotorua, destroyed two enemy planes each. Flying-Officer Stafford said: "There was just an L-shaped clearing, hacked out of the wood, which PilotOfficer Eagleson spotted. It was a pity we did not have more ammunition."
The shortage of ammunition could be understood, since the New Zealand Squadron on that operation had already damaged 10 locomotives and 66 goods trucks, destroyed two motor vehicles and strafed six barges.
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 39, 15 February 1945, Page 5
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169PILOT'S ALERTNESS Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 39, 15 February 1945, Page 5
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