GUNS AGAINST AIRCRAFT

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23914, 5 April 1943, Page 3

GUNS AGAINST AIRCRAFT

“BUSY DAYS” FOR N.Z. BATTERIES AXIS RAIDERS SHOT DOWN IN DESERT (Official War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) South-west of Gabes, March 25. These are busy days for the ack-ack gunners. Sometimes as often as a dozen times a day the sky above our lines is dotted with white puffs of ackack burst, and just as o(ten we can see the black bursts of enemy ack-ack not very far distant. When we first arrived at the entrance of the gap, before the enemy was forced from the main defences, his ack-ack shells were bursting almost overhead, as he sought to fight off our aeroplanes, and several of which failed to explode landed in our lines. Since then, although the raids have not been very heavy, they have been fairly frequent. One of the heaviest occurred yesterday afternoon, when nine Junkers 88’s came in formation. They were greeted with terrific fire from the ground. One aeroplane emerged low. with the port engine on fire, the flames lengthening as it flew ove’- us. Two of the crew bailed out, and the pilot followed just as the aeroplane went into a dive. His parachute failed to open. The machine disappeared in a gigantic ball of flame and smoke as it hit the ground. Two more of the crew were still in the aeroplane when it crashed. Another of these aeroplanes was seen to- be making off, leaving a great trail of smoke. It was reported to have blown up in mid-air some distance away. Yesterday morning a lone Focke Wulf raider braved our ack-ack fire. It is believed to have crashed beyond view of our. troops. Our ack-ack gunners also claim part of the share in the destruction of a Macchi 202 during the Medenin engagement. The troops fully realise the sterling work of these gunners. While others can be in the comparative safety of slit trenches, they must continue to fire, even when enemy aeroplanes are diving- upon them. The black bursts which appear among the white of our Shells are from captured 88-millimetre guns. In was noticed this morning that enemy aeroplanes were showing the greatest respect for our ack-ack and were flying at a higher altitude than previously. The ack-ack guns were for a fortnight engaged in helping protect Tripoli harbour. The barrage is stated by residents to have been the greatest ever seen there. Our guns fired many thousands of rounds. They definitely brought down one aeroplane, credit for which was shared with other ackack units operating.