HEAVY TOLL OF NAZI AIRCRAFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23512, 24 November 1939, Page 7

HEAVY TOLL OF NAZI AIRCRAFT

MANY SHOT DOWN IN FRANCE LOSSES IN COMBAT OVER NORTH SEA

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

(Received November 23, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 23 Allied fighters swept the German raiders from the skies yesterday, shooting down seven, while anti-aircraft guns destroyed a total of nine, says the correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain on the Front. The French lost two fighters. One pilot escaped by parachute and the other was killed when his parachute failed to open. It is revealed also that a combat occurred over the North Sea on Tuesday, when eight machines were brought down. In one case a 22-year-old Yorkshire pilot sighted a German bomber and climbed up beneath him to a height of five miles. He pursued him over the sea and opened fire at 100 yards range. The bomber heeled over at the first burst of shot, spiralled down at a speed of 400 miles an hour, and hit the sea as the petrol tank exploded. Of the eight Nazi aeroplanes shot down by the British one was hit by anti-aircraft fire from the Essex coast. This is the first time coastal gunners have brought down enemy aircraft at night. Six German raiders visited the Shotlands yesterday. They first circled the area bombed last week, unsuccessfully attempted to bomb a small island mail steamer, and then dived on a Royal Air Force seaplane which was lying at its moorings. They dropped bombs which set fire to the seaplane and destroyed it, but there were no casualties. The German aircraft flew so low that their crews were visible as they, dropped their bombs. Seven of the crew of the British seaplane leaped into the water and struck out for the shore. One bomb dropped within 25 yards and partly shot away a float as one airman was clinging to it. Boats picked up six of the crew and the seventh man, fully clad, swam 500 yards to the shore.