Without Losing Plane R.A.F. Shoots Down 50 Raiders

Northern Advocate, 23 February 1940, Page 5

Without Losing Plane R.A.F. Shoots Down 50 Raiders

(■Received 12 'Noon) LONDON, February 22. J>OYAL AIR FORCE FIGHTERS SHOT DOWN AN ENEMY PLANE OVER THE NORTH-EAST COAST. 'Spitfires caused a second Heinkel to crash into the land at St. Abb’s Head. The crashed Heinkel hit a farmer’s field 20 minutes after the first Nazi had crashed at sea. There was a crew of four aboard the Tleinkel. The Royal Air Force is estimated to have shot down a total of 50 Nazi aeroplanes over Britain or the North Sea since the war began.

O The R.A.F. has not lost a machine 1 during these engagements. Two German planes aimed bombs j at a trawler off the East Coast, but J flew off when the trawler opened fire with a machine gun. Sea and Fire. British pilots saw the first of the two Nazi planes that were shot down break up and dive into the sea, says an Air Ministry announcement. The second, after crashing, was burned by its crew. A 30-mile chase through the clouds by Hawker Hurricane fighters ended in the destruction of tne first Heinkel. The Hurricane pilots were members of a regular squadron which recently brought down three Heinkels in two days. The Hurricane pilots sighted the enemy 10 miles off the Northumberland coast. The Heinkel turned to the south-east and climbed into the clouds. Bullets Strike Home. For a time the Hurricanes lost him. Then, in a clear patch, a flight-lieuten-ant sighted the Heinkel again. He dived to the attack while the German rear gunner fired back ineffectively. The Hurricane's bullets struck home. “The Hemkel’s under-carriage immediately dropped.” said the flightlieutenant’s report. “It dived steeply to about 10,000 feet when its wing tips were seen to drop off. Then it turned on its back and dived vertically into the sea.” Further north Spitfires of an auxiliary squadron were attacking the second Heinkel 25 miles out to sea. Pursued by the Spitfires and with one engine out of action, the German pilot decided to make for land. He crashed his aircraft a mile inland.