PILOT'S FEAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23860, 10 January 1941, Page 7

PILOT'S FEAT

FIVE ITALIANS BEATEN | FOUR DESTROYED NAVAL UNIT ATTACKERS By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright LONDON. Jan. !) A Hurricane pilot in the Middle East, dived on five Italian 579 bomber aircraft attacking a British naval unit. He destroyed four of them. Tlu; British airman, a sergeant-pilot, said lie selected one of the enemy machines and at 100 yards fired his first burst. Within half a minute he saw one motor of the Italian bomber catch fire and the machine plunged into the sea. He then turned to attack another bomber, and as it got his fire he saw two of the crew bale out. ITe hit the starboard motor of the third enemy machine, and it went into a long glide that finished in the Mediterranean. As bis bullets hit the fourth machine he saw pieces of metal fly off it. This machine, he considered, had little chance of reaching its base. "It was a pity my ammunition ran out, as it was a sitter," he said, referring to the filth machine. STURDY AIRCRAFT BATTERINGS WITHSTOOD (Received January 9, 7.15 p.m.) British Wireless LONDON, Jan. S There have been several recent examples of the extraordinary stress which British aircraft can receive and still he brought safely home —providing test imonics to the skill of workers, pilots and ground staff, A Hampden bomber received a direct hit over Hamburg which struck the port wing and ripped open the oil tank of the port engine. However, it ran sweetly the 400 miles home. The tail rudder of a Hampden was badly damaged by the cannon machine-guns of three Junkers attacking at once, but the machine readied home. A Blenheim bomber flying over Rotterdam met exceptionally heavy antiaircraft fire. The port oil tank was punctured in three places, the lead from the. starboard petrol tank was fractured, the main spar and a fin were shot through and the rudder cable was cut half through. There were also holes in the tail and fuselage, but the machine got, home and was back in service two days later. PASSIVE RESISTANCE CZECHO-SLOVAK PEOPLE VAST MOVEMENT DEVELOPING (Received January !), p.m.) LONDON, Jan. S Tn the course of a speech, the President of the Provisional C/.echo-Slovak Government, Dr. Benes, revealed that an amazingly complete secret report of anti-Nazi activities in Czecho-Slovakia reaches London every day. He said Czecho-Slovakia was maintaining a united front against the Germans. The wheels of the factories were I going slower and slower, and a vast | system of passive resistance was being 1 built up throughout the country. "We have heard about the German war of nerves.'' said Dr. Benes, "but there is also a Czecho-Slovakian war of j nerves. Not only the Czech workers, including those in the Skoda arms factories. are going slow, but the farmers are determined that Germany shall get as little as possible of their produce." SPRING OFFENSIVE BRITISH AGRICULTURE IMPORTS OF MACHINERY (Received January !), 6 p.m.) British Wireless LONDON, Jan. S The Ministry of Agriculture states that preparations are already in hand for a spring offensive on the home front. Tractors, ploughs, drills and harrows are coming from factories at home and abroad in greater quantities than ever before. In the next three months it is expected that over -1000 tractors will be imported. In the same period home industry should produce between 4000 and .5000 tractors. .More hinders will also be coming from the Dominions and the United States later in the year. Last year 7000 binders arrived from overseas. SHIPS AND ARMS LOANS TO BRITAIN NEW BILL FOR CONGRESS LONDON, January » Ihe draft of a bill to empower the Lnited States to lend ships, tanks, guns and aeroplanes to Britain and other democracies has been completed, ; and is expected to be ready for Congress 1 to-morrow. I he hill is stated to be new, and does not involve amendments to the Neutrality- Act.