GERMANS ROUTED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 97, 23 March 1940, Page 7

GERMANS ROUTED

LIVELY AIR COMBATS. FLEET AIR ARM. CONVOY PROTECTED. ? (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received March 23, 11.10 a.m. RUGBY, March 22. An Admiralty Press notice states that on Wednesday at 5.50 p.m. a flight of three Fleet Air Arm aircraft forming part of a convoy escort made contact with an enemy formation of ten Heinkel 111 bombers. The leader of the Fleet Air Arm at once formed his flight into line astern and attacked the nearest enemy machine. The German machines, which had also been in line astern, at once broke formation, and commenced unloading their bombs into the sea and climbing to the shelter of clouds. The pilot of the leading British machine, however. manoeuvred into a favourable position and succeeded in remaining so placed until he had fired all his ammunition. The enemy were then lost sight of in the clouds. Shortly afterwards several enemy aircraft reappeared and endeavoured to press home their attack on the convoy. The British machines were by tliis time split up, but one aircraft, piloted by a petty-officer. attacked four enemv machines and succeeded in driving them off. This action ended at 7 p.m. At 7.30 p.m. the same day another flight of three Fleet Air Arm aircraft was returning from convoy and escort duty when an observer in the leader’s aircraft noticed firing to seaward. At once he turned to investigate. A single enemy machine was sighted being pursued by three aircraft of the Coastal Command of the B.A.F. The Fleet Air Arm aircraft gave chase, hut the enemy was lost in the clouds just before the Fleet Air Arm machines got within range. ATTACK UNDER DIFFICULTIES. The chase was broken off and the Fleet Air Arm flight was returning towards its base when the leader saw a German aircraft machine-gunning a merchant ship. He gained position above the enemy unobserved and dived to attack, closing to within 50 yards range ot the German. At this distance the slipstream of the large German machine affected the British aircraft and threw the sight off. The British machine' at once turned and renewed the attack, pressing it home to close range and firing short bursts into the enemy with good effect. Quantities of oil poured from the German machine and this smothered the windscreen. The British aircraft pilot, however, was able to see that the enemy was climbing slowly towards the . clouds with his undercarriage hanging down. The attack could not, however, be renewed as the ammunition of tlie British aircraft was expended. There seems no doubt, however, that this was ■the enemy aircraft referred to in the German High Command communique as having failed to return to its base.