GERMANS CONVERT FIGHTERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23721, 30 July 1940, Page 7

GERMANS CONVERT FIGHTERS

SPEED FOR COASTAL RAIDS BRITISH SQUADRONS STILL TAKE TOLL By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrighfc (Receivcd July 29, 5.35 p.m.) British Wireless LONDON, July 29 New methods have been used during the week-end by the German Air Force to make their raids on British harbours safer. Messerschmitt 109's, which are single-seater fighters, no bigger than the British Spitfires and Hurricanes, have been fitted to carry high-explosive bombs, and they fly in waves, six miles high, and dive out of the sun to drop their bombs and then try to make for home before British fighters can catch them. The Germans have found that the British defences are taking too heavy a toll of their regular bombers on these coastal raids, and they hope by using high-speed fighters to save aircraft and, more important, to save pilots; but these tactics are not proving very successful. During the past few days Spitfires and Hurricanes shot down at least 3 1 Messerschmitt 1 09's. In Sunday afternoon's fights off the south-east coast of England, Spitfires shot down five of them and damaged several others. Two other aircraft were shot down into the English Channel by Hurricanes, and this brought the total number of German raiders destroyed this week-end to 1 3.