LEADING "ACE"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23617, 29 March 1940, Page 7

LEADING "ACE"

ADDS TOJLAURELS TWO MORE VICTIMS AMAZING ESCAPES TWICE SHOT DOWN Py Teloeraph—Press Association—Copyright British Wireless LONDON, Mnreh 27 A New Zealand airman, FlyingOfficer Edgar J. Knin, aged 21, who is such a .terror to the Germans, added to his laurels to-day by bagging two Messersehmitts, bringing his total bag to five with a possible sixth. He has twice escaped when his own machine has been shot down in flames. "Cobber" Kain thus becomes the Royal Air Force's crack ace. The five German machines with which he is officially credited constitute a record for any fighter pilot in the present war. Flying-Officer Kain. after a miraculous escape when his machine was . almost shot to pieces, is recovering from slight burns and a severe hand wound. Kain Tells of Fights Telling how hp shot down his two victims, ho said: "After sighting the enemy we climbed to 24.000 feet. I led in, coining up behind a Alesserschmitt. He rolled over on his hack, 1 stalled and went down in flames. "I saw three or four more and picked ouf one and dropped him with a full burst. He rolled over on his side and i went into a dive. I saw smoke pouring out as he disappeared." Describing his second engagement of the day, in which his own aeroplane was hit, Flying-Officer Kain said: "I was tho leader of a flight of three Hurricanes out on patrol. Attracted by bursts of anti-aircraft fire we ran into nine Messerschmitt 109's. "I shouted over the radio telephone, •Messersehmitts ahead' and we just tapped in. I gave instructions that each of us was to engage one of the enemy aeroplanes.

Shell Hits Petrol Tank "Tho enemy tackled us in two lots of two machines. The sky suddenly seemed clear and I v looked round at the sun to see where I was and tried to locate the other aeroplanes. There was nothing behind me. "I then became aware that one of the •nemy machines yas high above me, waiting to see what was happening before he attacked. Then he came down / and went for me. Suddenly the top of my hood flew away. There was a big bang in front of my eyes and I saw a jagged hole appear as one of the cannon Bhells tore through. "Flames and oil just poured into the cockpit'.- The shell had hit my petrol tank. Escape by Means of Parachute "1 think the shock must have knocked me slightly unconscious. When I came to, 1 was in a steep dive flaming away. 1 managed to get the rest of the hood back. I bent down to turn off tho petrol and tried a side-slip to get the flames out and pulled tho stick back to try to stall. "Then I fumbled with the straps of my parachute and got out as quickly as I could. Away went the aeroplane with flames roaring all over the place. I felt very refreshed as the air cooled my face. I was feeling quite happy and did not think about pulling the ripcord at all. "Then it occurred to me to do this, and everything went hazy. I found myself going through an all-enveloping white filmy mass, and 1 remember saying to myself: 'I am in Heaven.' Lands Near German Lines "Actually it was a 3000 ft. thick layer of cloud. When I came out of it my right strap was hanging off. It was touch and go whether I landed in France or Germany, and I tried to spill the air out of the parachute to glide into France.' "I slumped down in the middle of a ploughed field in no-man's-land. The parachute pulled me along a bit, then I lay down f;or a while. "On picking myself up I wondered whether to make for a village, which proved to be in German territory. I stumbled to a wood only half a mile from the German lines and, having hidden the parachute, I started to plod along. Taken for Spy by French "A French captain ran toward me pointing a revolver. I said, 'Attention,' or something like that, and as soon <*is he recognised my uniform he put his gun down and hedped me along. Then both of us wore challenged by a group of French soldiers, who pointed their bayonets nt us. We had quite a job to convince them we were not spies. "The captain took me to his mess, about four ifiiles away, and brought me round, bandaging a number of holes in my Ip<v caused by cannon shrapnel. 1 was finally taken to my own squadron and cared for by our own doctor. \\ hen I went to Jook at the wreckage of my .machine, I found that on the way down tho tail had fallen off."

SPEEPING-UP WAR EARLY TALKS FORECAST (Received March 28, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 27 The Daily Mail says British and French Ministers, including Mr. Chamberlain and M. Raynaud, will hold early talks to review methods of speeding-up the war. • TRAGIC EXPLOSION FRENCH DESTROYER (Received March 28. r>.s p.m.) PARIS. March 27 Seven men were killed and several are missing as the result of an explosion tlio destroyer.La Railleuse.