FIERCE AIR BATTLE

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22895, 16 December 1939, Page 13

FIERCE AIR BATTLE

Reconnaissance By R.A.F. NAZI FLEET MOVE DISCOVERED (Received December 16, 1.30 a.m.) LONDON, December 15. It is officially' announced that British reconnaissance aeroplanes shot down four German Messerschmitts during a fierce battle over Heligoland Bight. A Press Association message says the air battle followed the' discovery by the Royal Air Force machines that a Nazi fleet, consisting of a battleship, a cruiser, some destroyers, and a submarine, was at sea. Nazi aeroplanes launched six wave attacks with a view to preventing the British aeroplanes returning with news of their discovery. Fuller official details of the Heligoland Bight air battle show that the British reconnaissance formation also encountered severe anti-aircraft fire from enemy cruisers, destroyers, and a submarine. The latter opened fire before diving to safety. Afterwards Nazi fighters re- . peatedly engaged the British aeroplanes, hut after 15 minutes a twin-engined enemy fighter crashed in flames. Three others met a similar fate. One British aeroplane was shot down, and two others are missing. The rest of the formation successfully reconnaissanced estuaries and fortified islands off the north-west of Germany. The machines flew sometimes less than 100 feet above the fortifications. . The Air Ministry announces: “Throughout the last 24 hours considerable Royal Air Force forces have been in operation over the North Sea. These operations included a wide search for enemy surface craft and submarines, and close reconnaissance of estuaries and fortified islands of north-west Germany. “One formation engaged a strong enemy fighter force in Heligoland Bight. In the ensuing encounter intense fighting developed, in the course of which four Messerschmitt fighters and three of our aircraft were sent down. “All our other formations returned without loss.” The Berlin wireless announced that a large-scale battle between German chasers and 12 of Britain’s most modern long-distance bombers occurred this afternoon between Wangeroof and Spierkeroof, near Wilhelmshaven. Six British craft were shot down and one German came down on the sea. The Berlin wireless now claims that eight bombers were shot down in the battle near Wilhelmshaven. A British Official Wireless message says that further details of the two recent engagements between Royal Air Force Coastal Command aircraft and two German Dornier machines over the North Sea show that the second combat was almost an exact repetition of the first. On each occasion the British aircraft fired almost the same number of rounds of ammunition and did almost the same damage ta_the

enemy. Both combats took place at the same height and in both cases a cloud bank provided the enemy with a ready means of escape. In the first engagement, the British aircraft were far out from a base near Scandinavian waters and flying low on account of heavy cloud at 1200 feet. The enemy was a big twin-engined Dornier flying-boat. The Royal Air Force aircraft attacked and for 28 minutes fought the enemy in the narrow space between sea and cloud. The crew of the heavily-armed Dornier blazed away with all their guns as the pilot sought to outmanoeuvre the 'pursuers, but the British pilots were too quick for the enemy gunners. Keeping well out of the field of fire they posisitioned their aircraft for their own gunners to get to work. Finally, with both rear gunners hit, Diesel oil tanks punctur«i, and fuel literally streaming from nacelles and sponsons, the enemy gave up the fight and struggled into the obscurity of the cloud. The British aircraft then proceeded on patrol. An hour later, more than 100 miles away, the same British crews encountered another enemy Dornier and attacked it. This time the fight lasted only 10 minutes before the enemy aircraft—its rear gunner hit and black oil smoke pouring from it—sought refuge in low cloudbanks. The oil and smoke left a trail fully a mile long. It would be surprising if either crippled German aircraft was capable of'reaching its base.