First Blood To New Dominion Squadron

Northern Advocate, 26 August 1943, Page 5

First Blood To New Dominion Squadron

(Official Correspondent) GUADALCANAR. August 25

The first success for a fresh New Zealand fighter squadron now operating from Guadalcanal’ was scored recently by Flight-Lieutenant J. H. Arkwright, of Marton. when a Zero which he attacked over Rendova exploded in the air. Four New Zealand Warhawks were engaged in the action and. in addition to the enemy fighter shot down, the same pilot damaged another, and Flying-Officer A. D. Bayiey. of Dunedin, also damaged one. The New Zealanders suffered no losses.

Diving through cloud to about 16,000 feet west of Rendova, pilots led by the Marton pilot saw a large formation of Zeros, some 3000 feet below, flying westward. The New Zealanders circled until the enemy had passed below, then dived on them from astern.

The rear of the enemy’s formation was made up of seven Zeros flying in a “V.” The Japanese leader and three planes on his starboard side saw the Dominion Warhawks and broke sharply away but the remaining three eneifiy fighters continued and FlightLieutenant Arkwright attacked the nearest. A four-second burst from the Warhawk caught the Zero in the engine and forward part of the fuselage. The enemy aircraft blew up and the New Zealander, climbing in a fast left-hand turn, instantly attacked another Zero. This second machine, claimed only as damaged, was soon to be hit and ihs motor was smoking when last seen.

Following a Zero that was trying to avoid the New Zealanders’ attack, the Dunedin pilot watched an enemy pilot pull his aircraft up in a loop. He attacked from dead ahead while the Zero was still inverted and saw his bullets going home in the enemy’s engine. He fired a long burst and finally pulled out to avoid a head-on collision, losing sight of the enemy. The action lasted only a few minutes, the remaining Zeros hurrying out of range and leaving the four Warhawks alone in the sky.