CHANNEL BATTLE

Grey River Argus, 18 February 1942, Page 4

CHANNEL BATTLE

N.Z. FIGHTER PLANES I Down Four Opponents E-BOAT PROBABLY SUNK. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDODN, Feb. 10. New Zealand may well be proud of the New Zealand Fighter Squadron. Led bv Squadron Leader E. P. Wells, D.F.C. and Bar, (formerly of Cambridge), whose photos were published in the papers after the Channel Battle, under the capt-on, “Whatever questions may be asked, these men did a grand job for Britain.” The squadron shot down four Germans, damaged two, and shot up, and probably sank an E-boat, when providing an escort for the bombers attacking the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst, and Prince Eugen, near Ostend.

Flight-Lieutenants W. V. Compton and G. Francis, both of Auckland, and Pilot Officer R. Grant, D.F.M., of Woodville, each shot down one German. Pilot Officers D. Clouston and H. Sweetman, both of Auckland, shared another.

Flight-Lieutenant Crompton and Sergeant J. D. Rae, of Auckland, probably shot down two more. Squadron Leader Wells, Pilot Officer J. M. Checketts, of Invercargill, and Sergeant W. M. Krebbs, of Hawke’s Bay, and T. Goodlett, of Dunedin, pumped an E-boat full ~of cannon-shells and bullets.

The squadron flew at 5000 feet over the Channel, about a cloudbank, and dropped through a hole in clouds near Ostend. Wells saw four Messerschmitts 109 1000 feet below, and told Crompton to attack. Crompton with Sweetman, Clouston, and Pilot Officer E. E. Mackie, of Waihi, dive-turned and swept down on the enemy. A melee followed. Crompton blew off the wing-tip from one Messerschmitt, but did not have time to see the result. The Germans flew in over the Dutch coast, hoping that the New Zealanders would follow, and so allow the anti-aircaft batteries to shoot them down. The flight, at 200 feet over Holland, wheeled rapidly from the land, with flak and “flaming onions” sprouting towards them. They reformed themselves over the sea, saw six Messerschmitts approaching, and immediately attacked. The Germans tried to draw them in over the coast, but, the New Zealanders were not biting. They re-formed after chasing the Germans, and prepared to meet fresh attackers. Compton suddenly heard Sweetman snouting, “Look out. Bill. One over your tail!” Crompton dive-turned and escaped, after which he saw a Messerschmitt dive into the sea. Both Sweetman and Clouston fired at the plane, but they had no time to see the results, for which they were credited with half each. Crompton fastened on to the tail of another Messerschmitt. He fired three long bursts, and saw it crash on the beach five miles west of Ostend. Although their ammunition was now exhausted, the quartette”s experiences were not ended. Compton, Clouston. and Mackie, flying together 1 , heard Sweetman calling over the radiophone. Looking round, they saw him leading what appeared to be a flight of Germans, except that thev were shooting at him. Although without ammunition, the New Zealanders swept around on the Germans, who immediately made off. When Compton’s ( fligm turned away, the remainder of the squadron flew on, and suddenly arrived over the German battleships, which were sandwiched between destroyer screens, with E-boats screening the destroyers. All the ships were steaming very fast, leaving giant creaming wakes. The convoy’s width from the boat screen to the E-boat screen was probably five miles. Wells retailed Francis to lead his flight down the lane between the Belgium coast and the battleships, while Wells led his own flight over the other side of the battleships between them and the other lin e of destroyers.' Francis, with Grant and Sergeants Rae and J. Liken, of Hawke’s Bay, sighted four Messerschmitts flying in pairs, and chased them, but the Germans dashed off over the top of the battleships. The four New Zealanders suddenly found about 30 German aircraft round them. Francis sighted a Fockewulfe 109, gave it a ten-second burst, and saw it crash into the sea. Meanwhile, Grant and Rae saw a pair of Germans below. They began to dive, when Grant saw _ a third German wheeling into position on his tail, but Grant turned sharply, got on the German’s tail, closed in, and gave him a, six-second burst, after which the German crashed into the sea. Rae continued to dive after the pair originally sighted, and saw pieces from the tail of one scattering before it broke off the action. Francis’s flight ran out of ammunition, and returned to England unharmed.

Meanwhile, Wells’ flieht flew down the land between the battlesnips and the destroyers, seeking; Messerschmitts, but without success, so he turned and followed up the batt.’ehips, .waiting hopefully until petrol became short. Wells therefore decided to use up his ammunition against the E-boats. His flight peeled off and swept down on the last E-boat. They saw cannon-shells and bullets smashing it. up. Ver*/ heavy flak greeted the flight, temporarily obscuring Wells’ n machine from Checkett’s sio-ht. Having spent .their ammunition, the flight returned home, where the squadron’s score .was marked up to 20 Germans.

ENQUIRY ORDERED. DELAY IN SPOTTING WARSHIPS. (Rec. 1.15,) .LONDON, Feb. 17. The “Daily Mail” says: “Mr Justice Bucknill is likely to preside at an official inquiry which Mr Churchill has ordered into the escape of the “Scharnhnrst.” “Gneisenau” and “Pr’nz Eugen.” The “Daily Telegraph” says: The inquiry probably will be limited to the matter of the failure to spot the ships until some three and a-half hours of daylight had passed.