RECORD NAZI LOSSES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 90, 15 March 1941, Page 7

RECORD NAZI LOSSES

NIGHT BOMBERS OVER BRITAIN THIRTEEN IN ONE NIGHT (United Press Association. —Copyright.—Rec. 10.40 a.m.) (British Official Wireless.)- ' V RUGBY, March 14. During the first 14 nights of March the enemyhas lost at least 31 night raiders. The number includes 13 which are known to have fallen to fighters, anti-aircraft. guns, and "other unspecified means" last night—the largest number of raiders yet destroyed in one night. In. all, 188 night raiders have been brought down since last June, when attacks after darkness began.

The record, previously stood at nine, which was the number destroyed on Wednesday night. It has now been exceeded by fighters alone who last night accounted for 11 of the 13 raiders destroyed. One was brought down by anti-aircraft .fire another by "unspecified means."

,One pilot, secured two. of the 13 Nazi bombers destroyed last night. He beljpngs to a squadron which recently earned two decorations for night fignt-lng.r-Both his victims were Heinkel 111.'5,. and he got his first while on patrol, just before nidnight and the other in the early morning, when he took the air for tl-e second time after landing to refuel and reload his guns. The same squadron was responsible for the destruction of another of the night's victims.

The pilot who shot down two in one night said he saw his first victim in the moonlight when nearly a mile away. He followed it for some time, frattually closing in. With the first urst from his guns the Heinkel caught fire and immediately began to fall in a dive towards the sea. It passed through the searchlight beams just, before it landed in the water, whef-e' it burnt itself out. OrL a the way back to his base he caugtrb sight of another, but it was too far away for him to, make contact. This pilot, with the same crew, was in the air again and a little more than an hour later he had another chase and again damaged a machine -with his first burst. A piece of the aircraft fell away and later he saw this machine hit the sea in flames. One of the pilots who destroyed an •unidentified aircraft so far as the type ■was concerned was not sure of his success until he landed at an aerodrome and heard that another pilot of the same squadron had seen the enemy crash. No ,/ exaggerated claims are made in informed quarters regarding the likeli-hood-of an early and effective answer to night raiding, and it is pointed, out that the weather conditions —a full moon and a cloudless sky—prevailing in the last two nights offered the night fighters an opportunity of which they took full advantage. Nevertheless, quiet, confident satisfaction is expressed at the results obtained. An Admiralty communique .states that a Dornier 17 was probably, destroyed yesterday by H.M. trawler Milford Quean. The first shell from ttie Milford Queen burst close under the nose of the aircraft and threw it oft its course. A second shell burst close •under, the starboard engine, which caught fire. Tracer bullets from the trawler's Lewis guns were also seen entering the cockpit of the aircraft. The Dornier was not seen to crash, but disappeared in the haze, losing height with smoke and flames coming from the starboard engine. A few seconds later the crew of the Milford Queen heard a loud explosion. .No damage or casualties were sustained by the Milford Queen. R.A.F. fighters shot down an enemy bomber into the sea off the Welsh coast this morning. 1,14. It is officially announced that a British plane crashed at Belcotton (County Clouth, Eire) yesterday. The •sole member of the crew sustained a leg injury and was admitted to hosPl An unidentified plane flew over Dublin Bay at noon and the ground defences went into action.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S RAID. Last night's raiders over the Merseyside were estimated to be 150. In addition to the raiders already announced as having crashed, another raider blew up in the sky alter a direct hit from an anti-aircraft battery and another was directly hit over a Mersey town. It struck -a balloon cable and crashed in the recreation ground. .Still another was directly hit and crashed in the lliver Dee in Cheshire, the crew being captured. Throe other raiders came down in the tea. The honours were about equally distributed between our night fliers and the anti-aircraft batteries. the all-clear signal came some hours after midnight, it being the longest raid for some time.

An Air Ministry communique, says: "Enemy activity last night was on a large scale and widely spread over England and Scotland. A heavy and prolonged attack was made on the (Jlydeside and some industrial buildings and many houses were damaged., Several fires were started but all were extinguished or under control by early morning. The number of casualties is thought to be serious but not heavy. The Merseyside was again sharply attacked, but most of the damage -was done to a number of houses in the residential districts." . Berlin official sources claimed that the attacks were aimed at crippling food industries and destroying food warehouses and public utilities.' Later.

tip till midnight on Friday two, * German bombers had been shot down in extensive raids on London and. other parts of Britain.