CHASE IN CLOUDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 194, 18 July 1941, Page 6

CHASE IN CLOUDS

MESSERSCHMITTS WORSTED. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 12 noon.) RUGBY, July 17. Fighters have been active over the Channel and Northern Franco to-day. Five enemy fighters were destroyed ' —two during an offensive sweep over Northern France and throe during a patrol over the Channel. Two of our planes are missing. It is now known that three Mcsscrechniitt 109's fell to tho guns of tho Fighter Command. now a liritisn tighter pilot destroyed two out of tour aircrait is told by the Air Ministry News Service. The Spitfire pilot tackled four Messerschmitt ]o'J's over the English Channel this afternoon, destroyed two of them, and sent a third spinning towards the sea from 12,000 ft. The pilot said afterwards that not one of the three Germans he fired at returned a single shot. "I was flying at 20,000 ft," he said, "and surprised four Messerschmitts at 10,000 ft. I got into the best position to fire at one of them and my first hurst went straight into the cockpit. Tho aircraft caught fire and went down. In less than ten seconds I was firing at the second and he just blew up. Tho other Huns then made for home, but I caught one up and attacked him from the side. Sly bullets went into his tank and blew the back of the cockpit to pieces. He went straight down, streaming glycol, and lumps of wreckage blew off him." The flying-officer who took on four Messerschmitt 109's in battle over the Channel, describing his third combat, said: "I saw him go down from 11,000 ft. to less than 1000 ft, but I could not wait to see him go 'into the drink.' " It was later confirmed that this third enemy plane crashed. A German communique claims that the Luftwaffe last night bombed aerodromes in the Midlands and caused large fires and explosions among hangars and barracks.—Official Wireless.