N.Z. AIRMEN’S VETO

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21756, 4 July 1945, Page 3

N.Z. AIRMEN’S VETO

USE OF SCOUT PLANES

LEADING BOMBING RAIDS (10 a.m.) SYDNEY, July 4. Attempts by Auster pilots of the Royal Australian Air Force to take part in a bomb strike have been firmly vetoed by pilots of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, says the Sydney Sun’s war correspondent on Bougainville. Auster pilots in their flimsy planes, travelling at about 80 miles an hour, have been chiefly used for artillery reconnaissance, but their ambition has always been to lead in a bomb strike, adds the correspondent. An infantry major was sympathetic and gave them smoke-bombs with which to experiment and they reported that they had accurately pin-pointed a number of enemy targets in the jungle. They asked to be allowed to lead the next bomb strike, dropping smoke-bombs on which the New Zealand Corsair pilots could drop their 20001 b. bombs. The major said it was “0.K.” with him, but the New Zealanders were firm in their refusal. They explained, kindly, that for smoke-bombs to be of any use they would have to follow in on Auster’s tail and the blast of their bombs would blow the tiny plane on its back and send it to destruction before it had time to attain altitude.