AIR ODYSSEY

Evening Star, Issue 25170, 9 May 1944, Page 2

AIR ODYSSEY

LANCASTER'S TERRIBLE JOURNEY EPIC GALLANTRY (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. noon.) ,'■'. ' RUGBYy May 8.- . Surviving one- of the .most terrible -journeys an .aircraft,.'pan ' ever have made, a Lancaster touched down soon -after dawn, and,those of the crew who could walk clambered out. The story is told by the .1 Air Ministry News Seiy vice. ' V- '■'"'? On the way '-to".bomb Friedrichshafen on the,.mght of: April 27,': the Lancaster, captained by Pilot-officer L. Hunt, was'attacked by a fighter and set on fire. -'The rear-gunner .was, fatally '„. wounded, the ' mid-upper " turret. knocked • out, and • the aircraft [badly damaged. Then the .Lancaster was hit by flak, and -the flight -engineer •wounded. ■.-.'. A' short-circuit-in. the wireless set caused .a fire which the wireless operator extinguished, but the crew pressed ' on. After the flight: the' Lancaster was nose-heavy, and the captain found it beyond his strength to hold it steady, so the crew fixed a wire from the mid..upper turret to the control column, and took turns to help the pilot by pulling on the wire. Over Friedrichshafen there was heavy flak and the Lancaster was hit in the bomb doors, but the captain finished liis run and the bombs were carefully aimed.. ... j. The compass had been damaged and ' they were uncertain of the course as .they turned for home, but saw other bombers heading in the same direction. The bomb-aimer and the wireless operator hacked away the rear turret doors, and with great difficulty, because the oxygen supply had been damaged, got the rear-gunner out >_ and gave first aid. It became increasingly difficult •to steer over the enemy coast, and . while on the way out to sea the Lancaster suddenly turned on its own and flew back towards the coast. It was a struggle to get it on its course again. V The sun was now rising,' enabling the captain to steer by it. Two Spit> fires came up and .flew,'on either side of the bomber, guiding it to safety. On landing, the starboard undercar- . riage collapsed, and afterwards it was found that the elevator's hydraulics had been shot up_, the main plane and fuselage riddled by bullets, and/ the. cowling of the starboard inner engine punctured. : Not until after the landing did the flight engineer tell the crew he hadbeen wounded in both arins and legs. He was taken to hospital with the rear-gunner, who died there.