Britain's Day in the Air

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 279, 25 November 1939, Page 7

Britain's Day in the Air

Seven German Bombers Shot Down 150 PLANES IN THE AIR ON WESTERN FRONT United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. PARIS, Nov. 23. For the second successive day, the Germans suffered severe aerial reverses on the Western Front. It was Britain’s day. Hurricane fighters patrolling the Maginot Line shot down seven German reconnaissance bombers. It is officially confirmed that four of them were Hornier 17’s. All the British planes returned safely. Thus far the Germans have not dropped a bomb on or behind the French front. One British pilot attached to an advance squadron secured his second victim within a fortnight when he engaged a Dornier near Vousiers. Ho dived down on its tail, fired a burst of 800 bullets and further short bursts riddled the German machine from nose to tail, and tore gaping holes in the fuselage. The machine finally crashed on a hill-top. Two members of tho crew leaped out, dragging with them a wounded gunner. A French peasant witnessed the landing and attempted to prevent the Germans from setting fire to the plane, but was held off at revolver point. As the Dornier blazed, French soldiers raced across the field, whereupon the Germans surrendered.

A second Dornier was brought down near Clialons-sur-Marne. Two of the crew were wounded and attempted to escape by parachute. One was picked up dead, and the other was found entangled in the parachute. The pilot, who was unhurt, remained in the machine, which crashed 20 miles away. He was taken prisoner. A British fighter spotted a third Dornier near St. Avoid and shot it do’fvn in a few minutes.

Another Dornier was attacked by a fighter in this vicinity and was last seen diving to earth with its port engine afire. The two occupants parachuted.

Other reports state that British pilots brought down bombers near Saarbrucken and Thionvillc. It is estimated that, since the weather cleared three dax-s ago, Allied fighters have got 18 enemy planes between the Belgian and Swiss borders, 12 of which are confirmed.

A later message says the Air Ministry confirms that the Royal Air Force brought down seven German planes carrying out individual reconnaissance flights over France. Six fell over the Allied lines and one on the German side. British personnel suffered no casualties, but one plane was hit and forced to land. Another was damaged. The Daily Mail says a total of 150 planes.were in action on the Western Front all day.

GERMANS SUFFER HEAVILY

ONLY ONE REACHED LONDON

LONDON, Nov. 23.

Announcements by the British Air Ministry reveal German air raids at night over the south-east of England. The raiders were met by anti-aircraft gunfire and intercepter planes, and only one reached the outskirts of London. The raiders were apparently accompanying planes that were attempting to lay mines in the Thames Estuary. British fighters shot down the only plane that managed to reach the outskirts of London. 'At one poiut the raiders fired machine-guns down the searchlight beams.

A French fighter to-day shot down a German warplane at Franchccomte. A message from Berlin says that a Gorman wav communique reports that a British flying-boat was set on fire in tho Shetlands and also that * ‘ four French planes were shot down during border patrols and a fifth near Sedan. Lively air scouting over England afl*l France has achieved unusually valuable results despite strong aerial and antiaircraft defence,” the communique adds. “A German plane was forced down at Freiburg. Enemy reconnaissance planes hugged the frontier.” This morning’s French war communique states: “We brought down five enemy fighters in our territory yesterday. Furthermore, a German reconnaissance plane attacked by French fighters over Gravelines fell into Belgian territory. Wo lost one fighter.”