AN ESCAPADE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1940, Page 5

AN ESCAPADE

LUCKY AIRMEN

MISTAKEN LANDING IN GERMANY

(Per British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, March 17

The story of how the crew of a British bomber made their escape after landing, by mistake, in Germany, near the French frontier, was told by the chief pilot, a twenty-five-year-old London flight-lieutenant. The meeting strong headwinds and rainclouds on a night reconnaissance over enemy territory, was in danger oi a. forced landing, owing to petrol shortage. The pilot, believing that he would be near home, decided to seek a resting place and get a bearing. He said: “1 came down to about five hundred feet. An anti-aircraft shell burst near. 1 switched on the navigation lights, gave the recognition signal, and put down the wheels.. Thereupon all was quiet again.” The aircraft landed, and the guns were unloaded in ■' accordance with the service custom, and the crew

climbed out to meet a little group of peasants running towards them: “One of us,” .continued the pilot, “said in French ‘‘lt’s France isn’t it?” but we got no answer. “Luxembourg then?” Our spokesman continued. There was still-3ijo answer. One peasant .pointed to r a companion \vitli the word ‘EranzosOich,” indicating that he- could speak French. He replied to -our query: “No, Sir, this is Germany. The frontier is twenty-five kilometres away.” He spoke in French, with a strong German accent. We turned and bolted hack to our aircraft.” When inside the bomber again the pilot started up the engine in a flash, and shot-off. As the aircraft took off, shots were fired by figures racing across the field from the far side. The bomber was on German soil for fifteen minutes. The pilot did not land again until he was quite sure that he was over France. Tt is believed that the Germans mistook the British bomber for a French ’plane, which accounts for a German Official 'news agency announcement to that effect on Saturday night.

OTHER BOMBERS.

PATROL OF GERMAN COAST.

'United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright/

LONDON. March 17

It is officially announced that during a reconnaissance of Heligoland Bight yesterday, the R.A.F. attacked with bombs a number of naval patrol vessels at various points between Borkum and Heligoland. It was in daylight that reconnaissances in. the Heligoland Bight were successfully carried out on Saturday morning by an aircraft bomber command, in the face of opposition from both air and ground defences.' West of Heligoland, a. Blenheim bomber sighted a German naval patrol vessel and attacked. Simultaneously three M.E, 109 fighters engaged the Blenheim without success. The Blenheim climbed the clouds, where fighters lost contact. The British aircraft previously came under heavy anti-aircraft fire from Heligoland ground batteries, but succeeded in completing the reconnaissance of the island. Another Blenheim bomber south of the island also encountered enemy fighters, two of which attacked simultaneously from astern, and from one quarter. The British aircraft evaded the attackers, by the skilful use of. clouds. The Frisian Islands also received a visit from ]thc bomber command. Antiaircraft fire was encountered from Borkuin and two M.E. 119—Germany’s latest and fastest fighter type—were sighted. They did hot attack.

East of'this Tsffind, naval auxiliary vessels were seen by British aircraft. Diving from 6,Oft) feet to within a few hundred feet of the water, the aircraft drooped a salvo of bombs on the formation. One of the vessels was partially lifted out of the water by the force of the explosion. The bomber came under the concentrated fire of patrol vessels, but there was no hit. All the British aircraft returned safelv to their bases.