Gunned While Rescuing German Pilot
(Received 2 p.m.) RUGBY. August 15. THE ADMIRALTY STATES: “ONE OF OUR MOTOR-TORPEDO-BOATS WENT TO THE RESCUE OF A GERMAN PILOT, WHO WAS SEEN TO BALE OUT OF HIS AIRCRAFT AND COME DOWN IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL TODAY. "It found Ihe German pilot, who was wounded, and was entangled in his parachute, and one of the torpedo-boat's crew dived overboard fo assist in getting: the German pilot clear. ‘’While the naval rating was at this task and the boat was lying stopped alongside the man in the water, three German seaplanes appeared and machine-gunned the boat and the men in the water from a low altitude.
Left to His Fate
“Three of the crew were wounded. "In order to avoid further casualties the boat re-embarked the rating from the water .and got under way. being forced to leave the wounded German pilot to his fate.”
An Air Ministry bulletin recounts the story of three Blenheims of the Coastal Command, which were patrolling the German coast this afternoon when they met 24 Heinkels returning in ragged formation from raids on Britain. A brief encounter took place over the enemy’s very doorstep. Although outnumbered eight to one, the R.A.F. aircraft suffered no casualties, but the Blenheims shot down two Heinkels and heavily damaged at least two ethers.
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Bibliographic details
Northern Advocate, 16 August 1940, Page 6
Word Count
220Gunned While Rescuing German Pilot Northern Advocate, 16 August 1940, Page 6
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