AMAZING ESCAPES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20254, 23 May 1940, Page 5

AMAZING ESCAPES

1 PILOTS OF R.A.F. FIGHT AGAINST ODDS 20 BOMBERS ATTACKED BOMBS IN ENGLAND ONLY MINOR DAMAGE (Eloc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. May 23, noon.) LONDON, May 22. The Royal Air Force last night continued its ceaseless watch k over the Channel. Activity increased after , dawn. The sky sometimes was full of planes. The Air Ministry announced that , the enemy had jettisoned bombs in two districts in the south-east of 1 England last night. gome fell on 1 land and others in the sea. Some - of the jettisoned bombs fell in a vilI lage. The shattering explosions , burst in windows and killed poultry. : Two salvoes of bombs were dropped I off the east coast early to-day. The exploding bombs shook houses. A second salvo was dropped later fur--1 ther out to sea. Another German plane last night dropped bombs in the sea near a south-east coast town. A naval patrol opened fire, but the raider passed over the town and turned to the south, from where further heavy firing was later heard. Aid o£ Parachute? Reports reaching Royal Air Force headquarters reveal amazing escapes by British crews who have parachuted to earth. One bomber pilot, after his two companions had been wounded and taken prisoner, swam the Meuse and reached the French lines, another fighter officer discovered that his plane was afire when about to land. He scrambled out at 500 ft. from the ground. Another pilot landed with his plane actually afire. The petrol tank exploded when he was only 50yds away. An Air Ministry bulletin states that one Royal Air Force fighter pilot attacked 20 Heinkel bombers singlehanded yesterday evening and dlsabled two of them. He had become separated from the other fighters of his patrol when suddenly out of a cloud flew 20 Heinkel Ill’s heading ' apparently for England. Attack at 50 Yards The pilot did not hesitate. He caught up with the Heinkels as they flew over Calais. Selecting one, he pressed the attack to within 50vds. As the bullets from his eight guns struck it, the bomber’s undercarriage dropped and thick smoke came from its starboard engine. There was no -answering fire from its air gunners. Turning to another Heinkel, the pilot gave it the rest of his ammunition at the same close range, causing smoke to pour from its port engine. This time one of the Heinkel’s machine guns fired back. When the pilot officer’s ammunition was almost exhausted, a Messerschmitt 110 attacked him, but dodging away he landed safely at his -base with the Hurricane unharmed. It is officially announced that stronr forces of Royal Air Force bombers working in relays, harassed the spearhead of the German armoured columns ( all day on Tuesday. Considerable i damage was inflicted. Large-scale attacks were made lasi night on the main German communi- i cations with Namur, Dinant and | Aachen, keypoints of Rhenish Prussia. | Only five bombers failed to return ( Our fighters destroyed or seriously ■ damaged 24 German planes. Eight of ( ours are missing. (