AGAINST ODDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 29 October 1941, Page 2

AGAINST ODDS

FIGHT OVER CHANNEL CAMBRIDGE PILOT FURTHER GERMAN "SCALPS’ While returning from a daylight sweep over France. Flight-Lieutenant l E. P. Well . D.F.C. (Cambiidge >. ace pilot of the New Zealand Fighter Squadron, was attacked by four Me ei chn tt 109’ Separated l’roi squadron. Flight L.eiitenant Wells v. a flying alone in the "Waikato.” The Nazi pilots made a number "f attempts to shoot him into the Chan nel. The New Zealander got one of the, Huns, the second during returned to the station with his Spit fire intact, although damaged by can non and machine-gun fin e. FIRST BLOOD TO MAY ZEALANDER The New Zealand Squadron was actling as high cover escort in a daylight 1 j sweep. As the Spitfires crossed the j French coast the pilots saw 30 Messer j schmitt 109's about 5000 feet above | them. The Germans dived, broke the formation of the wing, and a number of dogfights began. Pilot-Officer J. F. Knight ■ Auckland) was rlymg Number Two to Flight- . ' Lieutenant Wells. After a general mixi up. Knight’s Spitfire was hit and glycol began to escape in a cloud of white j fumes. Wells told him over the radio j telephone to set off for England and i he turned away from the squadron him self to protect Knight's tail. Evidently attracted by the white cloud pouring from the damaged Spit - fire an ME 109 dived after Knight. Wells was waiting for him and, in turn, he dived on the Nazi. Getting him in the sights he fired his two cannons, and most of the left wing of the 109 was blown away. The Messerschmitt turned on its back and the pilot baled out almost immediately. FOUR AGAINST ONE By this time Wells had drifted some 1C to 15 miles away from Knight and had lost sight of him. About 10 minutes later the squadron heard Knight say over the radio-telephone: "I will have to land.” It was thought that his engine must have failed, and that he was able to force-land in Franco. Flight-Lieutenant Wells had lost a good deal of height during the combat, and he was in a position in which no fighter pilot likes to find himself — away from his squadron and compara - tively low down. His petrol supply was easing. He decided to return to England. It was just at this time that the four 109’s sighted him. They divided into two pairs and began to attack the New Zealander alternately. First one pair dived at him and then the other. Every time he saw them start to attack, Flight-Lieutenant Wells turned to meet them. To have continued to fly toward England with his back to them would Have been fatal. On two or three occasions he heard cannon-shot hitting the Waikato's tail. Machine-gun bullets also clanged into it. But,, the New Zealander faced the Me’s every time, and at lat the oppor - tunity came for which he was waiting. A SHEET OF FLAME One of the Nazis overshot after making an attack. He pulled out of his dive straight in front of Flight--Licu- ; tenant Wells about 75 yards away. Immediately the New Zealander fired his cannons, giving two bursts. He saw the Messerschmitt turn on its back, and when he looked again four or five seconds later—during which 1 short interval he had made certain ; that the three remaining Germans were not about to attack—he saw it drift—- ■ ing down with a sheet of flame leaping ; up and licking Ihe tail away. The pilot did not bale out. When Flight-Lieutenant Wells was ■ almost half-way across the Channel the 1 remaining three Nazis decided that it - was time for them to get back to > France, and the New Zealander r<*-

• turned to his base to find only 10 shells ! remaining in his camions and not much : petrol in the tank. The recognised ace of the New Zealand Squadron. Flight Lieutenant Wells’ nicknames are “Hawkeye" and "The Killer." A former clay pigeon- | shooting champion, he has exception - ally keen eyesight. Many pilots have | said that, he has spoiled German aircraft during sweeps long before they : ihemselves picked them out. He never i would be continued in Canberra.— ! U.P.A.