AIR COMBAT AT MALTA

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23745, 17 September 1942, Page 6

AIR COMBAT AT MALTA

EXPERIENCES OF N.Z. FIGHTER PILOT PARACHUTE DESCENT FROM 13,000 FEET (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 16 Six Messerschmitts were shot down by Flying Officer Gray Stenborg, D.F.C., of Auckland, during three months on Malta. He twice shot down two Germans in one flight, and was finally shot down himself, and flung from his Spitfire at 13,000 feet while travelling at more than 400 miles an hour. He landed five miles from Malta and was picked up by a launch. Flying Officer Stenborg has brought up his score of German aircraft to 10, as he shot down four over France before going to Malta. “I landed at Malta from the aircraftcarrier Eagle early in June,” he said. ‘‘My first action was a week later, when the June convoy arrived. Four of us on patrol saw 10 Junkers 88’s. I singled out one, but my cannons jammed. After that I was going home alone, skimming the waves, when three Messerschmitts bounced me. I turned and managed to draw smoke from one with my machine-guns. At that all of them sheered off. ‘‘Early in July I was leading a section over Malta when I saw six Junkers 88’s. We attacked, but ran into 10 Messerschmitts. I dived on top of them, shot up one, and saw it going down with its glycol (cooling fluid) streaming. I was now alone against four Germans, having become separated from the others. I fired at one German from 200 yards. It crashed in the sea. , ‘That was quite a pleasant outing, very different from the next, four days later. Eight Spitfires set off to meet a big raid. I spotted six Messerschmitts below and called up my leader, but apparently his radiophone was not working, so I told the others I was going down. I did a half roll and dived down so fast that they lost sight of me. ‘T suddenly found myself on top of 15 Messerschmitts, and having speed and height, managed to get two of them very easily, one going down in flames and the other out of control. After that their friends began to makethings hot for me, so I dived vertically to escape, but found a Messerschmitt still firing at me. I began to pull out from the dive when suddenly I saw the sea rushing up through the mist. I heaved back the stick and became completely unconscious. I woke up to find myself at 4000 feet almost stalling. We reckoned Jerry must have dived into the sea, because he was probably going faster than I was. I did not feel too good, but returned to my base safely. Test Flight Encountered “After that I suffered a bit with sinus trouble. When I recovered I was sent up for an air test, but while 1 was up a raid came in, so I climbed to 31,000 feet and flew half way to Sicily looking for them. “I luckily spotted three of them a few thousand feet below. I attacked and blew one to bits, after which the others made off. On two subsequent flights we were jumped on badly, one Jerry taking a sitting shot at me from 200 yards and missing. “My last flight was in the middle of August.-I was with an American sergeant flying at 31,000 feet when he saw Messerschmitts. As I could not see them I told him to attack and I would follow, but Just as he went for six Germans three more followed him up. I shot down one from his tail at pointblank range, but the next minute a great chunk flew off my starboard wing. “I heard explosions and the aeroplane shook everywhere, and black smoke poured into the cockpit, I began diving out of control at 27,000 feet. I tried to get the hood off, but. it would not budge although I tried all ways while my Spitfire fell for 14,000 feet at more than 400 miles an hour. I was a horrible feeling. I was expecting the aeroplane to blow up at any moment, but fortunately the hood came off £fnd I suddenly found myself thrown out. “I had seen a German pilot open his parachute at that speed and have his harness ripped off by the force of sheer speed, so I waited for a while before pulling the ripcord in order to slow up. Then I pulled the cord and landed in the sea. I spent five minutes trying to get free from, the‘parachute and get my dinghy working. That trip shook me to the teeth.” Flying Officer Stenborg has a high opinion of the German squadrons operating over Malta. “Their pilots are better than those I met over France,” he said. He is now on three weeks’ leave in London, after which he will be posted to an operational training unit. He wears the Maltese Cross, to which he is entitled for having fought over Malta. /