R.A.F. Pilots Tackle Odds in Greece

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 95, 22 April 1941, Page 5

R.A.F. Pilots Tackle Odds in Greece

DIVE-BOMBERS SUPPER (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 20. Operations in Greece last Friday, in which ten German aircraft were destroyed and many others seriously damaged, are described by the Air Ministry news service. Fighter pilots of the R.A.F. sought out and destroyed enemy aircraft in a number of offensive patrols. One Hurricane squadron ran Into ten Junkers 87’s escorted by a large formation of Messerschmitt-109’s. Against odds of something like four to one, the British fighters went into battle. When the British squadron, bullet-scarred but still at full strength, returned to its base, a young pilot-offleer gave a brief description of his part in the encounter. “We arrived over the Pharsala area to find a lot of German fighters escorting Junkers-87’s which were divebombing an army convoy,” he said. “One seemed intent on his dive, but when I got on his tail he altered his mind and tried to slip away. My first burst set him on fire. The German air gunner opened fire on me, but I got in another burst. After that, the bomber dived straight to earth and crashed on a hillside. “The next instant, I caught sight of another Junkers-87 and got underneath and fired into his radiator. My second burst, from astern, sent the bomber nose down, and there was black smoke pouring from the engine.” In Greece yesterday and the previous day there was considerable successful R.A.F. activity, says an R.A.F. Middle East communique. German divebombers, escorted by lighters, attempting to attack our ground troops at various points and shipping Khalkis were intercepted by our lighter patrols. During the day. without loss to themselves, our lighters shot down three Junkers-87's, two Junkers-88's, four Messerschmitt-109's and one Heinkel--126 and severely damaged many others. Yesterday, several other S-79’s were seriously damaged by our fighters over Melos.