Busy and Successful Day for R.A.F.

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 109, 9 May 1941, Page 7

Busy and Successful Day for R.A.F.

HEAVY EXPLOSIONS AT HAMBURG (British Official Wireless.) Received Thursday, 9.20 p.m. RUGBY, May 7. Fighters of the R.A.F. have had a busy and successful day, states the Air Ministry News Service. They managed to bring to battle a number of German fighters on patrol off the northern coast of France and in the Straits of Dover after weeks of being unable to make them fight. In the process they shot down and destroyed six enemy fighters and severely damaged a number of others. All six German fighters destroyed were Me.-109’s. One Spitfire squadron got the six in three different dog-fights off the Kentish coast. The first battle began soon after dawn, two being shot down in this engagement. It was a “free for all fight’* which began when four Spitfires from the squadron intercepted eight Me.*i. Describing the action one pilot •aid: “They were a short distance •way flying in line astern when we fir9t •aw them. I turned in on the enemy and they at once formed a defensive circle, but this soon broke up when we went in to attack. I gave one German a good burst and then broke away. When I turned back lje was slowly •pinning down." Another pilot in the same section of the squadron began an attack on a Me.-109 from a considerable distance. The enemy dived straight down to sea level but was overtaken. Trying to climb away he was fired at again and bla« k smoke pourod from his engine. He roll id over on his back and dived etr ight down to the sea. ?a addition to the six Nazi fighters an enemy bomber was shot down this ev ning by R.A.F. fighters and another h'- tile aircraft was destroyed off the f*a t coast of Scotland, bringing Lhe number of enemy aircraft destroyed during daylight to-day to eight. Success! ul Attack on Hamburg. A remarkably clear sky with the moon shining brightly above thick cloud layers was experienced by a •trong force of R.A.F. bombers attacking Hamburg last night. Anti-aircraft shells came up through the dense

blanket and there were night fighters along the route. Far above the thick clouds there were several combats. Some enemy fighters came very close and by entering the cloud one bomber evaded three single-engined fighters which dived to attack. A Me.-100 was damaged in another encounter. German bombers on the way back from raids on this country were also seen. Over the North Sea a twin-engined bomber passed overhead. A tracer came from the enemy and the British bomber’s rear-gunner answered with a good burst.

Another bomber was attacked by both a Heinkel-111 and a Junkers-88. Both the enemy were hit and the reargunner was «ure he had seriously damaged the Heinkel.

Over Hamburg the weather was more favourable for bombing than observation of the results, but when tho cloud opened many fires were seen and at other times the brilliant flashes of heavy high explosives were seen reflected on the clouds. In a patch of clear sky the R.A.F. bombed a large industrial building on the north bank of the canal and set it well alight.