PILOT’S ACCOUNT

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 85, 4 January 1940, Page 7

PILOT’S ACCOUNT

Messerschmitts Dodged

In an account of the battle over the North Sea the pilot of the British plane which eluded the enemy and returned safely said that almost the first warning the formation had of the approach of the German machines was when they saw a stream of tracer bullets.

The bombers came out of the sun and did not see the enemy, he said. Six Messerschmitts immediately attacked, their bullets missing his plane narrowly. The rear gunner reported that he had brought down one opponent, and the front gunner claimed that lie had hit another. n The first Messerschmitt fell out Ol control and crashed in flames into the sea. The second was definitely hit and made a spiral dive to the sea. Shortly afterward a third Messerschmitt dropped out of the fight. The British pilot then dived from 10,000 feet to about 20 feet above the sea. lie was immediately pursued, but skimmed above the surface of the sea for about an hour and succeeded in dodging the enemy, who were forced to give up the attack. —By radio.