U.S. Aircraft Bags First German Bomber

Northern Advocate, 13 January 1941, Page 5

U.S. Aircraft Bags First German Bomber

[British Official Wireless ] RUGBY, January 12. The Air Ministry News Service states that Germany has lost her first bomber to American fighter aircraft flown by Bx-itish pilots. Flying Grumman single-seater fighters, naval pilots shot down a Junkers 88 bomber, all four German occupants being captured. Three of these American fighters vvei’e on patrol when the weather necessitated their l'ecall to their base. One of them had actually landed when the pilot caught sight of a Junkers 88. He promptly took off again and rejoined his two companions just as one of them opened fire on the raider. Crash Into Bog, Capture. Smoke at once enveloped the Junkers, and when the leader joined the fight, the German machine began to lose height as the pilot apparently searched for a landing place. The crippled raider glided down, and the three British aircraft kept a close watch to make sure- it was not a ruse to dodge into the mist. The Junkers eventually crashed into a bog. The fight had been watched by a retired naval captain and his son. They reached the wreckage as one of the crew was attempting to set fire to the machine. The captain covered him with a shotgun, and his son disarmed the four men and took them prisoner. Or<e had been slightly injured.